"I demand to stop dismissing postmen and ensure pensions delivery," - Poroshenko at meeting with postal service chief. PHOTOS

Meeting with Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelian and Director General of Ukrposhta PJSC Ihor Smilianskyi, President Petro Poroshenko ordered to ensure the delivery of pensions, stop the dismissal of postmen and save the departments in the countryside.

As reported by Censor.NET citing the presidential press office, the head of state said that a number of tasks were set during the previous meeting on Oct. 30.

"The first item is to prevent the increase of tariffs for the delivery of pensions. It does not have to affect the pensions of the most vulnerable segments of population," Poroshenko said.

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This should be done through the signing of an agreement between Ukrposhta and the Pension Fund on guaranteeing the delivery of pensions.

"The task that the president sets must be fulfilled," he added.

"The second item is that we must stop the closure of post offices in villages, especially in remote villages. It is necessary to ensure their support at the expense of the general balance of Ukrposhta," he stressed. The president reported that he had initiated the disbursement of 500 million hryvnia to the state budget, which should compensate for the losses of Ukrposhta caused by the delivery of pensions. The head of state is confident that this should be definitely done in with respect to non-closure of the departments in villages.

"The third item - I order you to stop the dismissal of postmen. To date, these 500 million hryvnia will allow you to provide a corresponding increase in salary and protect the postmen, especially in villages. Because it's not just the delivery of pensions, newspapers, magazines or letters. For someone, for an elderly person, it is probably the only connection with the world," the president said.

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Poroshenko instructed First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Vitalii Kovalchuk to monitor the implementation of the task on the ground.

The president also appealed to the director of Ukrposhta: "I urge you to revise your salary. I hope that the president's advice will be heard."

He called on the Infrastructure Minister to monitor the pension delivery, preservation of post offices and provision of salaries.

"I will never give up on my demands," the president stressed.

Source: presidential press office

Smilianskyi, in turn, said he accepted president's recommendations.