The Lugansk People’s Republic state budget provides for an increase in wages and social benefits in the coming year, the LPR Finance Ministry said. The LPR Head’s decree of December 27, 2021 approved the Republic’s budget for the year 2022 and the target period of 2023-2024, the Ministry said. “The LPR’s socio-economic development program for 2022-2024 envisions allocations for an increase in wages and social benefits.” For example, pensions and social benefits in the Republic will increase by 20 percent from January 1, 2022, public sector wages by 25 percent, labor remuneration fund of law-enforcement agencies by 18 percent and public officers’ wages by 18 percent. “The state budget welfare allocations account for a significant share in overall spending.” Protected expenditure made up 83.4 percent of overall spending including the spending on wages and extra fees, pensions and other social benefits (80 percent), food and medications (1.4 percent), utility bill payments (1.8 percent)," the LPR Finance Ministry said. On December 22, the LPR parliament amended the budget law to toughen budget discipline. The LPR and DPR authorities adopted the programs of socio-economic development of the Republics for 2022-2024. The declaration released after the inter-state meeting noted that following the discussion of the programs, the representatives of LPR and DPR authorities planned to sign inter-state agreements to provide for establishing a common economic space for sustainable development of the economy of the Republics and improving the quality of life of the LPR and DPR population.*i*t