In 2016 average salary in Ukraine is $175 per month,
which is $2100 per year (additionally ~20% of various direct taxes are deducted
from this sum, as well as 20% VAT on any purchase). It roughly equals country's
GDP per capita. Average state pension is $60 per month. Note that private
pension system is still in its first stages of development; millions of
pensioners receive minimum pension which is $45 per month. This $1.5 per day
sum is actually lower than the poverty line approved by the World Bank at $1.9
per day.
These numbers are direct result of corrupt public
service, law enforcement, prosecution, and courts. Yet numerous foreign and
home-grown experts demand raise of state-paid salaries "in order to fight
corruption". Is it a reasonable demand?
The Constitution recognizes Ukraine as a social state base on the principle of
equality of its citizens. Teachers are guaranteed to receive salary not lower
than one in industry sector. As of moment, $60 per month is a starter salary
for a young teacher; a professional with 30-year experience may expect $120 per
month, which is even lower than the average! What is worse, a professional
well-experienced surgeon is paid $100 at maximum in a state hospital
(healthcare system is free and almost exclusively is provided by the state).
The whole country needs reforms. Of course, naked Russian aggression, war,
occupation of the Crimea and parts of eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk
is a restraint. Yet examples of other countries involved in war, namely Israel,
prove that reforms are possible to implement. Restrictive factors include mostly population rejecting tightening the belts.
They say, that true income of Ukrainians comprises
"black market cash". To some extent it is true, e.g. the unemployed
tend to find jobs without paying due taxes; small entrepreneurs pay tax based
on their turnover, but their turnover is not susceptible to estimation, so its
scale is usually hidden. Despite seemingly unlimited possibilities for tax
evasion, not so many citizen resort to it - it is mostly available to private
businessmen.
Salary is the major source of income fro the most of
able-bodied population. Disabled citizen depend on social allowances - state
pensions (due to age, disability, death of breadwinner).
Question "Why do public servants demand higher
salaries?" should be rendered as "Do public servants have any grounds
to demand higher salaries?" and later "Should taxpayers keep that
quantity of ineffective state institutions with licensing and repressing
functions?"
- total corruption and coverup;
- Soviet way of thinking of the old generation
officials;
- post-colonial outlook of the new generation of the
politicians;
- need for comprehensive reforms, e.g. total
reorganization of economic sectors;
- fear of social unrest as numerous jobs are to be
lost;
- fear of the labour force migration, especially brain
drain.
Can a $1,000 salary restrain a public servant from
taking a $1,000,000 bribe? Today MPs spit in eyes of Ukrainians, as they show
presents and prizes many times more expensive than their salaries in their
income declarations. Disbalance in salaries proportions is to lead to
social unrest, but not to the victory over corruption. Only true patriots will
abstain from taking bribes; and this cannot be motivated by shamefully unjust
salary ratio. If $1,000-2,000 salaries are introduced for the public servants,
they would better relocate them to elite ghettos protected by policemen with
$270 salaries.
