Ukrainian ministers complain about low salaries in government

A meeting in the Ukrainian Government. Photo: Rian

Ukrainian ministers, who worked in the private sector before being appointed to government positions, complain about low salaries of officials and the difficulties faced in providing for their families.

Interior Minister Dmitry Dubilet said that there is currently talk among ministers and deputy ministers about offering a large salary, an official salary, because many of them come from the private sector. "They see that in the private sector they earn 10 to 20 times more. And this makes it easier for them to support their families," Dubilet said in an interview with Nash TV channel on December 15.

According to the Interior Minister, good employees may be attracted to the government apparatus, but they cannot accept salaries according to their positions in the public sector. At the same time, Mr. Dubilet admitted that it was impossible to increase salaries for senior officials, although the minimum wage in the country "looks bad." Interior Minister Dubilet added that his monthly living expenses amounted to $5,000.

Earlier, Justice Minister Denis Maluska publicly complained about his low salary. The minister said that at the time of his appointment his salary was 16,000 hryvnya (equivalent to 670 USD), and now his salary is 29,000 hryvnya (equivalent to 1,200 USD). However, Minister Maluska stressed that this salary is not enough for him.

According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, in the fall of 2019, the average salary of a Ukrainian citizen was about 10,500 hryvnya ($440), and the average pension was more than 3,000 hryvnya ($130).