Photo from UNIAN
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan says that up to UAH 50 billion, or US$1.85 billion, is needed every year within five years to rebuild Ukrainian roads and bring their quality in line with European standards.
"At least UAH 50 billion [a year] is needed to properly repair the roads, and then there will be a normal European country with normal European roads in five years," Omelyan told a Ukrainian TV channel.
Some UAH 10 billion allocated from the state budget last year was enough to repair about 1% of the country's roads, he said, while more than 90% of Ukrainian roads still need repairs or renovation.
Read alsoInfrastructure minister reveals potential cost of road repairs in UkraineAs UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said that Ukraine had available funds to start the first stage of a large-scale road overhaul, and the country would be able to ensure "normal" quality of roads in five or six years.
Ukraine's national budget for 2017 has over UAH 35 billion, or $1.3 billion, for repairs and reconstruction of highways and roads, while about UAH 19 billion, or $700 million, was planned to be allocated for the development of road infrastructure in 2016.
The State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine, or Ukravtodor, estimates that annual needs for financing road maintenance in the country should be at least UAH 60 billion, or $2.22 billion.