Ukraine's government prepares 2020 draft budget for second reading

"Today we approved the draft budget for 2020 for the second reading, having worked out the conclusions of the Verkhovna Rada. Taking into account the decisions of the National Security and Defense Council and the commission on the allocation of funds for investment projects, the budget was approved with revision. We will finalize and submit the document to the Verkhovna Rada as soon as possible. We need a broad dialogue with our colleagues in parliament and the president. So we will be discussing the draft budget tomorrow. Of course, after submission, we will present the country's main financial document to the people," Finance Minister Oksana Markarova said.

In addition, the government reduced the number of employees of district state administrations. This is due to the fact that, as a result of the decentralization reform, the functions of district state administrations are being transferred to merged territorial communities.

According to the report, such a decision will help optimize the work of district state administrations and reduce budget expenditures that can be directed to community development in the respective territories.

Ministers also obliged all government agencies to pay funds for business trips in cash. This will reduce the number of paper documents and save at least UAH 60 million a year.

In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers defined the procedure for selection to the Commission on Senior Corps of Civil Service of public associations and higher education institutions that provide training in the sphere of public administration. The decision should promote the transparency and openness of competitions to the highest public positions.

The government also approved a number of staffing decisions. In particular, Serhiy Maslichenko was appointed deputy minister of energy and environmental protection.

At the same time, Head of the State Space Agency Pavlo Dekhtiarenko was dismissed from the post.

The government also temporarily assigned the duties of director general of the Ukraine Air Enterprise to Oleksandr Ponomarenko.

op