Ukraine to keep all IDP expenditures in 2024 - deputy finance mnister

MOSCOW. June 19 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian government will maintain all expenditures on internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2024 even despite challenges facing the country's financial system, Ukrainian media said, citing the Finance Ministry's press service.

"The Finance Ministry together with the government is taking steps on a daily basis regarding support for our citizens and their social protection. This is confirmed by the amount of spending, which is the second largest after defense spending. If compared to the pre-crisis period, social expenditures have increased 1.5-fold to over 470 billion hryvni. Thus, the number of social benefit recipients has grown 40%, from 3.6 million people to nearly 5 million people," the press service quoted Deputy Finance Minister Roman Yermolichev as saying in a statement at a conference on financial assistance to internally displaced persons.

A total of 136.5 billion hryvni was earmarked in the 2024 budget for social payments to nearly 5 million people, he said. Out of this amount, 57.6 billion hryvni will be spent on accommodation for IDPs, which is almost 20 times more than before the start of the crisis.

These funds will be used to support IDPs, whose number has increased elevenfold since 2021.

External financing will fully cover all of Ukraine's social and humanitarian expenditures in 2024, same as last year, Yermolichev said. International support remains critical to Ukraine.

The government has fully met the social spending target, already providing 243.2 billion hryvni, the Finance Ministry said.