Rada plans to consider draft state budget-2022 at first reading on Oct 20 – Stefanchuk

KYIV. Oct 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Verkhovna Rada plans on next Wednesday, October 20, to consider at first reading the draft state budget for 2022, chairman of the parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk has said.

"On October 18 [there will be] a meeting of the [budget] committee, on October 20 we will vote the budget in the hall, at first reading," the speaker told reporters in Kyiv.

At the same time, he called the intention to increase the salaries of Ukrainian doctors an unprecedented decision, for which the draft state budget-2022 provides funds for setting the minimum wage for doctors at the level of UAH 20,000 and UAH 13,500 for paramedical workers.

"This has never happened in the history of Ukraine to raise the salaries of medical workers to such a level … As far as I know, the indicators that are being laid down today and about which the discussion continues, they are a significant percentage higher than it was before in medicine," the speaker said.

"Of course, we must find sources [of funds], so we must adopt a number of "resource" laws, which will also be on the agenda of the Verkhovna Rada," Stefanchuk added.

According to him, the parliament plans to consider bill No. 5600 on the balance of budgetary revenues on Thursday, October 21, and stressed that this document is extremely important for the formation of a resource base for further budget expenditures.