World Bank

The Verkhovna Rada has adopted a draft law on the privatization of state-owned banks. The law expands the range of investors, allows the sale of any state share and updates the rules for holding an auction.

The United States has seen a sharp increase in enriched uranium imports from China since the end of 2023. It is suspected that China is helping Russia to circumvent sanctions by supplying Russian uranium under the guise of Chinese uranium.

The government plans to submit a new draft law on public procurement to the Rada with a number of important changes. New deadlines, a ban on procurement from certain countries, simplified procedures and other innovations are proposed.

The Ministry of Finance reported $98. 7 billion in direct budget support from donors since February 2022. The funds are allocated for social, humanitarian and priority non-military budget expenditures.

Minister Kuleba made his first ever visit to Mauritius. They discussed support for Ukraine, the Peace Formula and prospects for economic cooperation between the two countries.

The IMF requires an open competition for the position of the DGF director, but the authorities can appoint the head in a closed mode. Experts warn that ignoring the IMF's requirements could lead to the loss of critical financial assistance.

The war has changed the requirements for school construction in Ukraine. The new facilities are equipped with shelters, warning systems and enhanced fire safety, allowing students to return to full-time education.

Ukraine received $3. 9 billion from the US and expects €4.2 billion from the EU under the Ukraine Facility program. Prime Minister Shmyhal said that the funds will be used for non-military budget expenditures and social obligations.

A new batch of humanitarian aid from Ukraine has arrived in Mauritania. 538 tons of vegetable oil provided with the support of Finland and WFP will provide food for the poor and refugees in the Mbera camp.

Ukraine received the first tranche of direct budget support from the United States in 2024. The funds will help finance priority budget expenditures, including salaries for teachers, doctors and rescuers, and social benefits.

The Minister of Finance of Ukraine has signed an agreement on a $3. 9 billion grant from the United States. The funds will be used to pay salaries to teachers, employees of the State Emergency Service, government agencies, and social benefits.

The government plans to raise the military tax for mobile operators to 5%. Operators consider this a step backwards in terms of accessibility and warn of a possible rise in prices.

Ukraine fulfilled the conditions for receiving a tranche from the EU in September. The government is also attracting a grant from the US for salaries and social programs through the World Bank.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said he met with a World Bank delegation to discuss priorities, including rapid recovery, energy and the confiscation of frozen Russian assets, and expressed confidence in this year's efforts to make next year predictable and stable.

The Cabinet of Ministers has allocated an additional UAH 1. 9 billion in grants from the World Bank to restore heating in Kharkiv by the next winter season.

Shmyhal held the first meeting of the Steering Board for the Coordination of Central Executive Authorities to support Ukraine's participation in the Multi-Donor Coordination Platform. According to him, the country already has access to funding under the EU's Ukraine Facility program, so we need to form a single list of projects as soon as possible.

According to the World Bank, Ukraine entered the upper-middle-income category for the first time in 2023, thanks to economic growth of 5. 3% and a population decline of more than 15% following the Russian invasion.

This year, the Ukrainian government has provided more than UAH 220 million to 55 agricultural enterprises for the development of horticulture, berry growing, viticulture and greenhouse farming.

Ukraine needs an additional $9. 5 billion this year to finance its priority recovery needs.

The Odessa region received from the Ministry of health 4 Modern Electric Vehicles for primary health care doctors to visit patients in remote areas, in addition to 3 similar vehicles received earlier.

Russian money from frozen assets worth more than $300 billion should be a key source for Ukraine's long-term recovery from the war, with $50 billion of these assets to be provided by the G7 countries this year.

The World Bank will provide Ukraine with more than $100 million in grants to repair housing damaged by Russian shelling and restore energy services, including district heating in Kharkiv.

The G7 countries plan to create a fund that uses revenues from frozen Russian assets to provide financial assistance to Ukraine without requiring a refund, media reports say.

Due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the energy sector suffered direct losses of 1 16. 1 billion and indirect financial losses of 4 40.1 billion, while restoration needs amount to 5 50.5 billion for the complete reconstruction of destroyed facilities.

The World Bank's Managing Director of Operations, Anna Bjerde, said that within the framework of the PEACE project, we managed to attract 42 billion dollars, of which we have already transferred more than 38 billion dollars to Ukraine in tranches.

The World Bank will support simplifying the rules of new construction and improving the protection of citizens who buy real estate in Ukraine, in order to improve the situation on the housing market.

Finance ministers will consider using the profits from immobilized Russian assets in the West to provide a large-scale loan to Ukraine after the G7 summit in June.

Due to losses in the energy sector, the NBU lowered its economic growth forecast for this year from 3. 6% to 3%. However, economic growth is expected to accelerate to 4-5% in the coming years.%

The US is ready to lead a loan of $50bn to Ukraine repaid by profits from frozen Russian assets if the EU can indefinitely extend sanctions against Moscow, according to a leaked discussion paper.

The head of the National Bank of Ukraine explained that expanding access to financial services, including the reintegration of territories, veterans and solving problems with migration flows, is a requirement of the IMF for Ukraine to receive the next tranche of assistance.