The government announced an 18.5 percent rise in the nation’s minimum wage, signaling a sustained push to raise living standards beyond inflation. The stance was reported by the TASS news agency, which quoted the prime minister on the matter and framed the decision as a key economic objective for the current year. In explaining the plan, officials emphasized that improving citizens’ welfare remains a central priority and that the minimum wage would be indexed in a way that keeps pace with, and ideally outstrip, rising prices over time. The projection is that the adjustment would take effect from January 1 of the following year, setting a clear trajectory for incomes to begin a new cycle of real growth as the calendar turns. This approach aligns government priorities with broader social and economic goals, underscoring an ongoing effort to support households amid shifting economic conditions and external pressures affecting prices across goods and services.