OREANDA-NEWS. "In December 2015 the rise in prices was 0.5%, in January we got a deflation rate of 0.4%. This means that our target of keeping price stability is moving in the right direction," emphasized Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk at a Government’s meeting on Wednesday, 23 March.

In order to compensate for inflation, the Government has set the target of raising social standards this year by 12%.

The Prime Minister reminded that the first phase of an increase in wages and pensions was scheduled in May by 6%, "The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Social Policy and relevant Ministries have already received instructions to prepare the relevant documents in order to do a recalculation in May."

"I as the Prime Minister want to raise more. But we can spend only what we earn," he added.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk recalled that last week the Government held a meeting regarding the effectiveness of state-owned companies, which improved financial performance by 10 billion hryvnia. They showed a 3 billion income with 7 billion losses in the last year."

"This is only the first step. The more effective state-owned companies will work, the more tax we will have, the more chances, including a correct fiscal policy, to move the path of increasing social standards," said the Prime Minister.