IMF Requirements for Ukraine Will Be Fulfilled in 2-3 Weeks, Says PM

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said that he plans to fulfil all necessary International Monetary Fund requirements for Ukraine to receive a new $5.5 billion loan in the next two to three weeks, during a meeting of the Financial Stability Council on March 11.

“Out of the eight parameters the IMF asked us to complete, we have only two remaining. We hope to complete all of them over the next two, maximum three, weeks,” stated the prime minister.

The two unfulfilled requirements include opening the land market and voting for banking bill 2571, unofficially known as the "Anti-Kolomoisky" bill. The bill would directly ban the return of nationalized banks to their former owners – and while the bill doesn’t target oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky by name, it's most likely effect would be to prevent Kolomoisky from regaining control of nationalized Privatbank in case of a court decision in his favor.

As for land reform, the bill is completing its second reading in the parliament, where MP considered over 4,000 amendments added after the first reading. It is expected to pass. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said that he wants to see the land market launched by October 1, 2020.