Terekhov calls for minimum wage hike to UAH 10,000, fourfold cut in VAT on basic foodstuffs
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, who also serves as chairman of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities, believes it is necessary to raise the minimum wage while simultaneously significantly reducing the VAT on basic foodstuffs to prevent further impoverishment of the Ukrainian people.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, who chairs the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities, advocates for raising the minimum wage to UAH 10,000 and cutting VAT on basic foodstuffs from 20% to 5%, to combat poverty exacerbated by the ongoing war. He claims that poverty has more than doubled in Ukraine over the past four years, from 20% in 2021 to 41.6% in 2025, according to World Bank estimates.
The primary cause, as Terekhov asserts, is the war, which destroys infrastructure, leading to increased costs for essential goods and services, thus pushing people below the poverty line. Terekhov stresses that these measures should not be coupled with new taxes, as they would negate the intended benefits for citizens.
Written by urgent.news from Interfax-Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
