Volodymyr Groysman: We can achieve breakthrough and efficient economic growth in 2017

In 2017 we can make a breakthrough and provide economic boost, thereby enabling the country to reinvest in improving the quality of life of the citizens, believes Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman. He announced in an interview with Espreso.tv.

"I have a very clear feeling that we are capable of achieving a breakthrough in 2017, significant economic growth. It is important for me to have a response from this economic growth. Numbers 1-2-3% doesn't interest me, they are important in work, but I wish people feel: when people feel that the situation is changing, that there exists not just today, but we have the current situation that is understood and a predictable situation for the future, which is the most important", explained the Prime Minister.

He noted that achievement of last year had been that the situation stabilized and in the second half of year the economy was demonstrating a growing trend. For the upcoming year, the State Budget contains macroeconomic forecast - a 3% growth.

"These are just initial outcomes, because it is not rather tangible for people. There are two topmost things: to earn funds in the budget of the country from the national economy development and then to redistribute these honestly", he said.

Volodymyr Groysman noted that fair allocation of money from the State budget to satisfy needs of the citizens gives an opportunity to take measures aimed to improve social standards.

So, he reminded that starting August 1 of last year the Government had introduced an electronic public procurement system ProZorro to carry out all public procurement procedures, thereby enabling to economize UAH 8 billion. Apart from that, with the start of the reform of the customs service it [customs service – ed.] has demonstrated a monthly overfulfillment of the plan of revenues from customs payments by UAH 1.5-2-2.5 billion.

"These are resources that we can direct to economic development and give people, reduce the Pension Fund’s deficit", cited examples the Head of Government.

Economic growth in the country will encourage in particular the creation of more jobs and production of competitive Ukrainian goods, explained Volodymyr Groysman.

"Development of the economy is the foundation basing on which we can build a variety of activities that will afford us to pull people out of poverty in which they have been chronically stuck for decades", said the Prime Minister.

"It’s enough for people to suffer hardships in such a beautiful country as Ukraine, to suffer as a result of standards of living are quite poor," he said.

In this context, the Prime Minister noted that the decision about a twofold raising of the minimum wage, an increase of salaries of Ukrainian teachers, doctors, SES employees are necessary measures and aimed to return all the attention of the Government to the person, each particular Ukrainian citizen."

"So, the person working should get a normal wage. We are just beginning this process," assured the Prime Minister.

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