On Wednesday, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Mykola Tomenko commented on the draft budget for 2012. He called for changing the concept suggested by the authorities. Thus, he told that the following strategy is being used: a group of officials and affiliated deputies are working on the budget for the whole country. Neither opposition, nor experts or local self-government take part in this process. "It seems that this budget, like the notorious bill liquidating the benefits, was written amid hopes that no one will read and analyze it," he admitted.
Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Mykola Tomenko declared that the authorities are conducting a peculiar fight against a new wave of financial-economic crisis, suggesting taking more from the general public and giving more to the officials and big business. M.Tomenko mentioned such ‘anti-crisis measures´ as increase of financial support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs by UAH 576 million, the Security Service by UAH 235 million, the General Prosecution by UAH 207 million, the State Administration under the President by UAH 50 million, maintenance of the President´s residence by UAH 4 million, and recreation of public officials by UAH 100 million.
M.Tomenko stressed, "The concept of the budget is wrong, as it was written for the richest, gives preferences for their business, and makes the underprivileged even poorer." The politician informed that the opposition will initiate public debates of the budget with participation of the experts and local self-government. "Expenditures for support of public authorities should be dramatically revised," M.Tomenko said. "Moreover, the budget does not present any significant initiatives related to financial support of education, culture, healthcare, physical culture, and tourism."
The Deputy Chairman expects that after the draft budget is presented tomorrow, it will be seriously revised by the first reading. "As the opposition, we will exert every effort to transform the budget, written for the benefit of authorities and big business, into the budget for society and regions," M.Tomenko summed up.