KIEV, December 11. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Finance Ministry is mulling a proposal to cut down the number of deputies in the Verkhovna Rada, the national parliament to 150 from the current 450, the Zerkalo Nedeli publication said on Thursday.

The ministry says in its recommendations that the slashing of deputy mandates will make it possible to save about $28 million annually. Another proposal suggests lifting of the legislative provision that allows the deputies to get compensations for the expenses they incur in the process of performing their duties.

The country’s top fiscal agency proposes to allow each deputy to have only one aide/counselor and to lift the payment of one-time allowances to the aides in case their deputies terminate parliamentary duties before the next election.

Earlier on Thursday, the Rada endorsed an eleven-point program of the government’s activity. Although Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk did not say virtually anything about the cuts in social programs, the local media are vigorously discussing the cabinet’s plans to freeze wages and pensions, to axe discounts, to lift social benefits, and to hike a host of fees and taxes.