Ukraine Becoming Poorest Country in Europe Amid IMF-Mandated Austerity

‘Starting in 2017, Ukraine will have the lowest official salaries in Europe, according to calculations by lawmaker Oleksander Vilkul. Meanwhile, Ukrainian politicians and economists have begun investigating the conditions attached to the IMF’s recent $1 billion loan tranche, and are discovering that more austerity reforms are the order of the day.
Taking to the podium in Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, Vilkul complained that for ordinary Ukrainians, “life is getting worse and worse. A good example of this is the genocidal budget for 2017: The minimum wage of $60 [1,550 hryvnia] is the lowest in Europe. In 2013 it was three times higher.”
The lawmaker also noted that the government plans to further reduce social benefits, while further hiking utilities prices, all under the guise of Ukraine’s obligations to the International Monetary Fund.’
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