Mykola Tomenko: Elite Pensions could have been Eliminated Four Years Ago
Mykola Tomenko stated that Yulia Tymoshenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine, and he himself as the Vice Prime Minister in charge of humanitarian and social matters had initiated elimination of elite pensions in Ukraine four years ago. Pursuant to the submitted Bill, the highest possible pension shall not exceed 10 minimum pensions.
However, more than 50 People´s Deputies, including representatives of the Party of Regions, the Communist Party of Ukraine, the People´s Movement of Ukraine and other political forces appealed to the Constitutional Court in 2005 with an appeal, pursuant to which "the said regulations limit and reduce the rate of pensions of certain groups of Ukrainian population, which results in the contraction of content and scope of the right for pension provision".
"At present, when the President´s team has finally understood that elite pensions should be eliminated, it can be rapidly realized. However, - states the Vice-Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, - we lost four years due to the failure of the President´s team to uphold the idea in 2005".