BRUSSELS — the Ukrainian Government hopes by the end of February to coordinate with the International monetary Fund, the Memorandum to receive the next tranche to $17.5-billion loan program, said the Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in an interview with Reuters.
“As for the socio-economic bloc of the Memorandum, in fact, we have completed the process of discussing some of the nuances. We are in the final stage”, — said Groisman, and the question whether the sign until the end of February, said: “I think Yes”.
Kiev is waiting for the next tranche of about $ 1 billion from last year. The IMF in late January predicted completion of talks with Kiev during the “couple of days”, and on Monday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance said that all questions will be removed by the end of the week.
“Questions of the legal unit and legal reforms, — said Groisman. — With respect to real deadlines: we want to sign a real document, which we actually accomplish. Now, in accordance with the procedures of the internal Ukrainian we define all the terms that they were realistic.”
In addition to judicial reform a key issue in the negotiations with the IMF the restructuring of the deficit of the pension system. Kiev has already persuaded the Fund to waive the requirements of raising the retirement age and focus on the determination of pension rights, depending on seniority. Groysman said in an interview that the government expects to reform this year.
“We will propose how to reduce the pension Fund deficit in the medium term. We believe that it is real, and we are completely honest we will go to the citizens of Ukraine and will tell you exactly what the situation is, what to do, what will the citizens and in what time frame. This is a difficult discussion with the Ukrainian society, but this discussion should be open and honest.”
IMF funds to replenish foreign exchange reserves and reduce pressure on the national currency, restrain inflation and allow the national Bank to gradually lift restrictions on the foreign exchange market, scaring away investors. To the credit of the Fund is linked and the money of other donors coming into the Treasury directly, in particular, the EU macro-financial assistance amounting to about 600 million euros.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday he promised to come to Brussels Groysman to allocate the money, as soon as Ukraine will cancel the moratorium on the export of roundwood. According to him, it could happen in the coming weeks.
Western loans Kiev uses, including for the purchase of gas in Europe, as from December 2015, abandoned Russian fuel on the background of the crisis in relations with Moscow. Two previous winters Ukraine brokered by the EU was able to persuade Gazprom to sell some gas through separate agreements outside the scope of the challenged at the Stockholm arbitration contract.
However, this year Gazprom from such sales declined, the winter was cold, and stockpiles of the heating season amounted to only 14 billion cubic meters against the traditional 17 billion.
Groysman said in an interview that problems with heating and air transit of Russian gas to Europe is not expected.
“We have spent the greater part of four months — the autumn-winter period, when we consume more gas. This winter is slightly colder than the previous, obviously. However, I want to emphasize that today we have enough gas reserves to complete the heating season without any shocks”, — he said.
“Ukraine remains an absolutely reliable gas to our European partners. The situation in the energy sector is absolutely stable and absolutely reliable.”
