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Ukraine needs US$42 billion budget support this year and next: PM Shmyhal
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal speaks as he meets Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jul 19, 2023. (Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
12 Oct 2023 05:22AM
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Wednesday the country would need budget support of about US$42 billion this year and next year to plug a massive deficit and aid reconstruction from the devastation caused by Russia's invasion.
Shmyhal told a high-level roundtable to support Ukraine held during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, that Ukraine's state budget deficit would be about 20 per cent of the country's GDP this year and 21 per cent in 2024.
"We expect support from all our partners, both in equal amounts, Shmyhal said. "This will allow the government to meet its basic social obligations to pay pensions, salaries to doctors and teachers, and to help those whose homes have been destroyed by Russia."
He said the World Bank has been helping to assess recovery needs, adding that US$14 billion alone would be needed for a rapid-recovery response programme.
Shmyhal said the key to the country's resilience has been economic reform programs, including those to fight corruption and boost digitalisation. He said that Ukraine was preparing a single reform "road map" through 2027 based on international recommendations and Ukraine's proposals
World Bank President Ajay Banga said reforms that lay out a predictable policy path in key sectors could attract more private investment, especially in digital infrastructure.
"If the right conditions are created, we estimate that as much as one-third of Ukraine's future needs could be met with private-sector financing," Banga said.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at the roundtable also urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stay focused on fighting corruption and pledged US support for Ukraine for "as long as it takes".
Zelenskyy seeks defences for winter on visit to NATO
BRUSSELS: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukraine's allies on Wednesday (Oct 11) to arm his country to survive the winter, on his first visit to the alliance's headquarters since Russia's all-out invasion. Zelenskyy made a plea for air defence, long-range missiles and ammunition in the face...
