You're reading: Azarov informs scientists about social and economic situation in Ukraine

Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov has reported on the main problems that the new government has been tackling during the first two months of its work.

The head of government made the report at a meeting in the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv on Thursday, the governmental department for information and mass communications of the cabinet’s secretariat reported.

Azarov said that "an recession unprecedented in the world" had taken place in Ukraine, which led to a cut of over 15% of GDP, including a 50% fall of output in the construction sector. At the same time, the prime minister noted that other countries had lost only several percents of growth rate.

The premier said the budget deficit was over 16% last year, and as a result every second hryvnia from the budget was borrowed.

"A debt pyramid was built, under which, for example, in April we had to pay Hr 5 billion on domestic obligations. This totals approximately three budgets of the Academy of Sciences," he said.

According to Azarov, the state was charged an extremely high price for gas, which would have totaled $359 per thousand cubic meters in April, if the government had failed to sign new agreements. He noted this could have led to the stoppage of the chemical industry.

Azarov also added that another problem the government is facing is the problem of corruption: "We must combat not just instances of corruption, but totally corrupt systems.," he said.