Odessa Approves Three-Year Budget Forecast

The 2028 budget forecast for Odesa calls for a reduction in spending on education and healthcare.

This was announced during a meeting of the Odessa City Council’s Standing Committee on Planning, Budget, and Finance, which reviewed the draft municipal budget forecast for 2027–2029.

As Galina Savchenko, head of the Department of Finance, explained, the forecast was developed based on the budget declaration approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

“The key indicators taken into account in the forecast are the minimum wage, the subsistence minimum per person, and the consumer price index, which stands at 108.9% for 2027,” she said.

According to her, the revenue side of the budget is calculated based on a 110.4% increase in wages and a 116.5% increase in the subsistence minimum.

A member of the committee drew attention to the planned reduction in spending on education, healthcare, and social protection in the 2028 forecast.

“Why does the forecast for the 28th year show a reduction in spending on education, healthcare, and social protection?” he asked during the meeting.

The department head explained this by citing the specifics of the calculations for individual sectors.

“In 2027, greater emphasis was placed on improving the material and technical infrastructure, particularly in healthcare, in order to attract more funding in the future through contracts with the National Health Service. Expenditure optimization was also taken into account for social protection,” she noted.

Savchenko added that the forecast will be revised annually after the new budget declaration is approved.

Meanwhile,the Center for Public Investigationsanalyzed Odesa’s expenditures and determined which projects the city has debt obligations for.

Ірина Глухова