Food vouchers and smartphones for 25 billion: Zheleznyak recalled old government ideas amid new programs

People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak stated that the current government's initiatives to support the population amid rising prices bear similarities to unrealized programs from 2021. These include ideas such as food vouchers and the distribution of smartphones, which were never implemented. 

Government programs of 2021: what ideas were proposed during inflation

According to Zheleznyak, at the end of 2021, against the backdrop of high inflation, the government was looking for ways to curb prices. At that time, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal proposed price caps on essential goods.

At the same time, alternative mechanisms for supporting the population were being discussed in the President's Office. In particular, there was talk of so-called food checks or 'food stamps' in digital format.

• the idea of payments strictly for food was considered
• funds were to be credited to citizens' accounts
• they could only be spent on food.

At the time, President's advisor Oleg Ustenko explained that this was an analogy to subsidies, not a return to the Soviet rationing system.

Smartphones for Ukrainians: how much the program could cost

Separately, in 2022, the authorities announced yet another large-scale initiative - free smartphones for vaccinated Ukrainians over 60 years old.

The idea was publicly voiced by Volodymyr Zelensky, stating: 'All willing vaccinated Ukrainians over 60 will receive a free modern smartphone.'

According to Zheleznyak, the implementation of the program entailed:

• launching registration through 'Diia' or administrative service centers
• distributing smartphones in mid-2022
• budget expenditures of around 25 billion UAH.

However, the mechanism for implementation and funding was never clearly defined. The program was not launched due to the onset of full-scale war in February 2022.

The deputy also recalled that the government resorted to more traditional methods at that time, particularly price caps on gas for producers of essential products - bread, milk, eggs, and oil.

In Zheleznyak's opinion, the current population support programs partially repeat old approaches that had already been discussed earlier but were never implemented.

Previously, Zheleznyak stated that the Verkhovna Rada does not have a definitive solution to the political crisis, despite some passed laws. The situation looks like a temporary compromise, rather than a complete resolution.