KHARKIV, Aug. 23 – A rise in wages and pensions should be based on the real growth of the economy, President Viktor Yanukovych said.

"This year we saw an increase of over 15% in the average wage in Ukraine with virtually zero inflation. So we saw real growth in the income of people and on this basis, of course, improvement in their lives. But most citizens have not yet felt it. Why? Because a significant period of time has not yet passed... People have not yet felt [improvement in their lives]. This suggests that we need to continue our policy. Our policy should not be short-term," he said at a meeting with activists of Kharkiv region on Wednesday.