Rada passes bill on budget-2019

The Ukrainian parliament adopted the bill on the state budget for 2019.

A total of 239 lawmakers voted for the approval of the law at second reading and 240 parliamentarians supported the document as a whole early on Friday, with the required minimum being 226 votes, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.

"The decision has been taken. Ukraine's state budget for 2019 has been adopted," Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andrii Parubii said, after announcing the results of the vote.

The document stipulates that GDP growth will amount to 3 percent in 2019, with inflation projected at 7.4 percent. The minimum wage will increase to 4,172 hryvnia from Jan. 1, 2019, and the living wage will grow to 1,936 hryvnia from July 1, 2019 and to 2,027 hryvnia from Dec. 1, 2019.

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In the draft state budget finalized for second reading, state budget revenues for 2019 were projected at 1.026 trillion hryvnia, including revenues of the general fund at 928.508 billion hryvnia and revenues of the special fund at 97.624 billion hryvnia. Expenditures are envisaged in the amount of 1.112 trillion hryvnia, including expenditures of the general fund at 1.006 trillion hryvnia and expenditures of the special fund at 106.362 billion hryvnia. The deficit of the state budget is set at 89.989 billion hryvnia, including the deficit of the general fund being 69.617 billion hryvnia and the deficit of the special fund being 20.372 billion hryvnia.

Expenditures for improving the defense and security of the state in 2019 are projected at 211.9 billion hryvnia (including 5 billion hryvnia in state guarantees). The government also foresees 167.5 billion hryvnia to ensure the payment of pensions next year. Funding will also be increased in 2019 to continue health care reform. 55 billion hryvnia is also envisaged in the budget for the construction of new roads. Expenditures on education are expected to reach 126.9 billion hryvnia.

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In general, the resource of local budgets for 2019 is 588.936 billion hryvnia, including 542.021 billion hryvnia laid down in the general fund and 46.915 billion hryvnia in the special fund. The volume of local budget revenues is estimated at 291.118 billion hryvnia, including 265.656 billion hryvnia in the general fund and 25.463 billion hryvnia in the special fund.

The bill on Ukraine's state budget for 2019 was approved at first reading on October 18.