President Viktor Yushchenko has signed the law on a rise in social standards, he has told the press on Friday.

When explaining his decision to sign the document, the government and the IMF oppose, the head of state said that the only fundamental social standard is the minimum living to which the minimum pension, wage and other social transfers are pegged.

In his words, the government's unwillingness to raise the minimum living is equal to an attempt to solve the budget problems at the expense of retirees, poor and disabled people.

Yushchenko denies that significant additional finances will be needed to fulfill this law.

The President also claimed he would shortly table in the parliament the draft amendments to the state budget 2010 containing the sources of funds needed to raise social standards.

As UKRINFORM reported, the Verkhovna Rada passed October 20 a law setting the living wage and minimum wage submitted by Bloc of Lytvyn MP Oleh Zarubinsky.

The document sets from November 1, 2009 the living wage per capita for a month at UAH 701, January 1, 2010 - UAH 825, April 1 - UAH 839, July 1 - UAH 843, October 1 - UAH 861, December 1 - UAH 875.

The instrument also sets the minimum wage: from November 1, 2009 - UAH 744, January 1, 2010 - UAH 869, April 1 - UAH 884, July 1 - UAH 888, October 1 - UAH 907 and from December 1 - UAH 922.

Today, the minimum wage makes UAH 669 and the minimum living is UAH 626 (USD 1 - UAH 8.0).