This was reported by the leader of the Union of Consumers of Utility Services of Ukraine, Oleg Popenko, in an interview.
According to Popenko, the Ministry of Social Policy has already incorporated this reduction in subsidy funding into next year's budget. He pointed out the paradox of this decision, considering that an increasing number of Ukrainians are unable to afford their utility bills, leading to a significant rise in unpaid debts.
Popenko expressed concern over the contradiction between providing assistance to those who cannot pay their bills and simultaneously cutting financial resources allocated for subsidies.
He questioned whether such an approach would leave many citizens without the essential support they require.
The expert emphasized that the issue of unpaid utility bills has reached alarming levels. Households collectively owe nearly 90 billion hryvnias for heating services and an additional 60 billion hryvnias for natural gas.
In a separate statement, Popenko predicts that electricity tariffs could rise to nearly 7 hryvnias per kilowatt-hour by 2025, exacerbating the economic challenges faced by the population.