Experts estimate $45.3 billion is needed to repair all the roads and highways in Ukraine / Photo from kievcity.gov.ua
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky says that UAH 1.7 billion, or $7.7 million at the current official forex rate, has been allocated for road maintenance and repairs this year, which is not enough to considerably change the situation.
"A total of UAH 1.7 billion has been allocated for maintenance and repairs to all the roads the Ukravtodor national road agency is taking care of. Of the sum, UAH 1.2 billion has already been spent. For you to see the bigger picture: This is less than 10% of the sum needed to simply patch broken roads," he told Ukraine's TV Channel 5.
"They have given the money that is not enough even to patch the roads. This is not enough for any fundamental change," he added.
Adviser to the Infrastructure Minister for roads and motor transportation Roman Khmil earlier announced that UAH 1 trillion ($45.3 billion) is needed to repair all the roads and highways in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Vice Premier Valeriy Voschevsky said that state-run regional road construction and repair companies with respective regional roads would be transferred to regional authorities as part of decentralization reform.