The decision was supported by 230 MPs, according to UNIAN. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on September 21 took up for consideration the government-proposed draft state budget for 2017 with a deficit of 3% of GDP, revenues at UAH 706.269 billion and expenditures at UAH 775.265 billion The Cabinet approved the draft budget on a September 15 extraordinary meeting. During the presentation, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said that the prepared draft was in fact the budget of economic development. Read also Shkiryak warns of possible delays in Interior Ministry reforming amid lack of funds Earlier, Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk said that in the framework of consideration of the draft state budget for 2017, the MPs had proposed 1,165 amendments to the document, but most of the amendments were rejected because of the imbalance of costs and revenues. Also it was earlier reported that the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Budget recommended that Parliament take into account a number of amendments while considering the Cabinet-proposed draft state budget for 201. Read also EU to allocate EUR 104 mln to support Ukraine's Public Administration Reform In June of this year, Cabinet approved a draft budget resolution stipulating GDP growth at 3-4% in 2017, inflation at 8.1%, the unemployment rate 8, 6%, the forecast level of debt - 66.8% of GDP and the hryvnia exchange rate at the level of UAH 27.2 hryvnia to the dollar. According to the State Statistics Service, the deficit of foreign trade in Ukraine in January-August 2016 amounted to $1.465 billion against a $548.5 million surplus in the same period last year. Export of goods from Ukraine in January-August 2016 compared to January-August 2015 decreased by 9% - to $22.719 billion, and imports - by 0.9%, to $24.184 billion.
