President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has said that 2017 should see the rise of social standards in Ukraine.

"If the year of 2014 was the year when we had to defend our freedom, independence and sovereignty against the powerful Russian invasion, having no army, in 2015 the priority issue was creation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and mobilization [...] 2016 has become the year of lifting the economy, then in 2017 we will need to collect the benefits of economic growth," Poroshenko said, visiting Gadz farm in the Ternopil region on Wednesday.

According to the president, due to the increase of revenues to the state budget, it was decided to increase the minimum wage to UAH 3,200.

"This is a program to combat poverty. Lower wages can not exist either in the public sector or in the manufacture. And then, when the Pension Fund is filled through tax mechanisms on personal income and unified social tax with, we will give start to a clear calculation of raising pensions and other social payments," Poroshenko said.