Timing of IMF review mission to Ukraine not yet decided – deputy spokesman

The timing of the arrival of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission in Ukraine to review the cooperation program with the country and subsequently decide on a new disbursement has not been decided yet.

Read alsoPoroshenko discusses with IMF steps to be done to get another tranche"I don't have any details on timing of a review mission in any way, shape, or form. The timing of a review mission has not yet been decided," William Murray, the IMF's deputy spokesman, said at a briefing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, February 1, answering a question whether the IMF mission was going to arrive in Ukraine in February or April.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko earlier announced that the country had already fulfilled 80% of its commitments to the IMF. Therefore, it might receive a bailout loan as early as in April.

Chairman of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Bohdan Danylyshyn, in turn, predicted the IMF mission might visit Ukraine in February.

The IMF earlier said that, to see the completion of the fourth review of the cooperation program and to receive the fifth tranche, Ukraine needs to ensure that the pension reform is consistent with the objectives of cooperation, including long-term financial sustainability of the Pension Fund. Ukraine also had to pass a law on privatization, bring gas tariffs in line with import parity, create an anti-corruption court, and adopt a budget for 2018 with a deficit of no more than 2.5% of GDP.