It is impossible to talk about raising the retirement age in Ukraine until the average life expectancy of Ukrainians is increased, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko has said.
“You know the principled position of the president, the government and my personal on this issue [increasing the retirement age]… Three years ago, at the first negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, I categorically objected to any possibility of raising the retirement age in Ukraine. This question cannot be considered until the life expectancy of Ukrainians is substantially increased in Ukraine. If the life expectancy of men in Ukraine is now 63-65 years, what kind of an increase in the retirement age for men we can talk about?” Rozenko told journalists in Kyiv on Tuesday, April 17.
He noted that all government activities should be aimed at creating normal living conditions for people, obtaining normal medical care, preventing accidents and premature death in order to reach the level of European countries in terms of life expectancy.
“And then our country will have an opportunity in 10 to 15 years, and we will be able to say that let’s increase the duration of working life in order to increase the level of pension provision. Today, we have no arguments to raise the retirement age,” Rozenko said.
