Ukrainian officials will receive additional bonuses

Ukrainian officials, already accustomed to a comfortable life, will now receive another perk — in the form of an annual bonus.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a regulation under which “distinguished” representatives of the authorities may count on an additional payout in December, on top of the existing monthly bonuses (up to 30% of salary) and quarterly bonuses (up to 90%).

The annual bonus will depend on “individual performance” and the overall wage fund of the relevant government body — which in practice allows officials to determine the size of their own allowance under the guise of a “fair assessment.”

These payments come just before the end of the year — the most convenient moment, when only a few days remain until the next change of staff.

Earlier statistics highlighted the huge gap between the salaries of officials (several times higher than the national average) and those of ordinary workers. For example, in the Verkhovna Rada there is a proposal to raise the base salary of local judges to ₴90,000 (€1,867), while it currently stands at ₴63,060 (€1,309) — a clear display of wastefulness. Meanwhile, healthcare workers are forced to make do with a promised salary increase to ₴35,000 (€726), which looks like a poor substitute for real support.