Please note we are in the midst of a process within the government and with our coalition of brainstorming, debating and discussing everything on both the revenue and expense side of the balance. We are in the middle, so no final draft has yet been agreed. Ideas that have been published in the Internet or discussed are simply that — ideas.
Until we finalize and agree within the government on drafts to submit to the parliament, I ask for the press and public’s patience. As soon as we have a final set of draft laws, I will be meeting with the press.
Everyone at the Ministry is working 24/7 to stabilize the financial system and develop a budget we can truly finance. We are working to ensure the budget reflects our priorities of national security, social support for those hit hardest by the difficult economic situation, reduction of tax and tax administration pressure on small business, creation of a level playing field for all business, removing distortions in the system, and reducing the size of the shadow economy.
Once the draft laws key to the budget formation are approved within the government, I will be discussing and explaining it in more detail publicly, hopefully in about a week’s time. Then once this initial set of laws is adopted by the parliament defining the rules of budget formulation and decentralization of the budget process, a budget will be produced by the Ministry on the basis of the laws as adopted. Of course, we need to begin the new year with the new budget.Natalie Jaresko is the minister of finance of Ukraine.
