The Kyiv City Council has approved the budget for 2025, as well as the Economic and Social Development Program for the upcoming year and the Development Strategy through 2027.
The revenues of Kyiv for 2025 amount to UAH 91,105.9 million (UAH 87,536.9 million from the general fund and UAH 3,569 million from the special fund).
The expenditures for 2025 total UAH 89,779.8 million (UAH 69,048.4 million from the general fund and UAH 20,731.4 million from the special fund).
City leaders assure that the budget is balanced, and all areas of the capital’s life and projects are funded, including the need to "help the military," says Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Many concerned citizens are surprised that during the war, budget funds are once again being spent on roads and bridges. For instance, UAH 200 million is allocated for the construction of an access road to the "Kyiv" (Zhulyany) airport, which is currently not operational. Are such expenditures justified?
1 This is just a small list of investment projects included in the capital expenditures of Kyiv's budget for 2025.
Judging by the funds planned for the Department of Transport Infrastructure of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA), this sector may be "flourishing" – the pro-government majority voted for an increase of UAH 1.4 billion. Significant funds will again be consumed by the Podilsko-Voskresensky Bridge crossing, which remains unfinished – UAH 380 million. UAH 700 million is allocated for restoration and emergency works on the "Metro" bridge (an advance of UAH 250 million was previously allocated).
Enormous amounts have been allocated for public transport. The mayor laments that it is subsidized, with every second beneficiary traveling for free on trams, buses, and the metro. UAH 8 billion is the sum of subsidies solely for public transport.
2 The housing and communal sector requires over UAH 7 billion. These funds are planned in the budget. Tariffs for the population remain at previous levels, although the state does not fulfill its promises to compensate the city for the tariff differences, officials of the KCSA express their outrage.
Listening to the speeches of city leaders, one gets the impression that this multimillion metropolis is developing effectively, despite certain problems, and that the needs of Kyiv residents are well taken care of, with managers successfully overcoming various challenges in different areas. In short, applause? The report from Natalia Melnyk, Director of the Department of Economics and Investments of the KCSA, regarding the Development Strategy through 2027, simply "charged" the audience with great optimism, and an average Kyiv resident might think: what a great job the city administration is doing – this document seems to provide almost everything for the benefit of the residents. In particular, there are beautiful words about environmentally friendly public transport, accessibility, and enhancing safety in parks, squares, schools, and playgrounds.
They even emphasized "accountability and transparency" in the decisions of city authorities. However, they failed to consider the sad realities of the city, neglecting to mention old buses, trams, non-functional air conditioning in public transport, poor tram tracks on many streets, the lack of electronic displays at bus stops, and when all the small commercial minibuses will finally be replaced by modern large city buses, among many other things. And regarding "accountability and transparency" in the activities of capital managers, it seems more like a "comedy." In reality, authoritarianism prevails, especially in personnel appointments.
3 What kind of safety for children can be claimed when during power outages in schools, students do their homework "under a flashlight," and walk down dark school building staircases?! The city government rejected the proposal from opposition deputies to redistribute UAH 120 million from the city budget to provide schools with alternative power sources. And this is called "caring" for the younger generation? Let's consider: nearly UAH 32.4 billion is allocated for the education sector. From this large sum, they couldn't spare UAH 120 million for energy supply to schools and kindergartens. Thus, the "darkness" for Kyiv's children (over 400 schools!) continues. The Deputy Head of the KCSA, Valentyn Mondryivskyi, believes that the city cannot simultaneously purchase so many generators to cover all schools. Is that not an excuse?
Let's discuss the education sector from this perspective. According to the mayor, there is special support in this area. Really? Why is this not mentioned in the Strategy? The document states that the salary level for teachers is set at 80 percent of the average salary in the city. "This is a disgrace!" asserts Andrii Vitrenko, head of the permanent commission on budget, socio-economic development, and investment activities of the Kyiv City Council.
And once again, the question arises: are the city leaders capable of coming down from the heavens to the earthly realities? Kyiv does not need a glossing over of reality, nor victorious reports "wrapped" in a manipulative envelope of figures.
According to deputy Yevheniya Kuleba, the Strategy lacks information about the effective development of public transport and whether the area of green spaces is increasing or decreasing (in reality, it is decreasing). Meanwhile, the construction of bridges is now deemed a very strategic task. The main risk of this document's failure is ineffective city management, Yevheniya Kuleba believes.
It’s time to face the reality of what is actually happening. Here’s what deputy Andrii Vitrenko said:
“The wear and tear of engineering networks in the city has reached 70 percent, the wear of tram rolling stock is 75 percent, trolleybuses – 72 percent, and buses – 83 percent. The share of innovations in percentage terms (let me remind you that the Strategy states: ‘Kyiv is an innovative city’) has fallen from 16 percent in 2019 to five percent.”
Deputy Liliya Pashynna highlighted a disappointing fact from the housing and communal services sector. During Vitali Klitschko’s tenure as mayor, only 152 meters of networks were replaced using modern technologies. Why is less money allocated in the budget for network replacement next year than this year?
4 And what do we hear from Natalia Melnyk, Director of the Department of Economics and Investments of the KCSA? That there are other challenges in the housing and communal sector, primarily ensuring the city’s resilience and energy stability. And despite all the troubles that arise, "Kyivteploenergo" is handling them "efficiently." But why do these troubles keep increasing?
In the session hall, there was fair criticism directed at the city authorities.
“I believe the Strategy was poorly developed,” said deputy Mykola Konopelko. “Because this document does not mention the approval of the General Plan for Kyiv, nor the relocation of harmful industries outside the city, nor the establishment of city boundaries. There is nothing about the development of society and its construction.”
Deputy Ksenia Semenova drew her colleagues' attention to the many contradictions in the Strategy. For example, the document proposes to increase the share of pedestrians and public transport users, yet there is not a single word about developing the tram network or alternative power for traffic lights (which is important during power outages).
I would like to read in the Strategy about when validators for cashless payment for rides in private minibuses will be installed.
“This work is underway,” explained Natalia Melnyk.
In that case, please name the date when the validators will start working. But no one dares to name it. Thus, it turns out that the city cannot solve a simple task. Perhaps a corruption component is hindering progress?
Therefore, I would like to wish the pro-mayoral majority in the Kyiv City Council: less applause, dear friends, and more truthful assessments!
5 Mayor Klitschko boasts:
“We are doing everything to help the defenders.”
But is it really true?
“The first and foremost thing lacking in the budget is expenditures for the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” asserts deputy Andrii Vitrenko.
When will city leaders finally understand that road junctions and access roads to non-operational facilities can be built after victory over the enemy? Today, the maximum of budget funds should be directed to the defense sector to provide soldiers with everything they need. Instead, Kyiv allocates only a small amount for the front from its hundred-billion budget, continuing to convince us all that this is "very significant support" for the warriors.
BOHDAN TUR