14:09 26.06.2015

Private foreign creditors refuse to pay contribution to Ukraine's economic recovery – Jaresko

3 min read
Private foreign creditors refuse to pay contribution to Ukraine's economic recovery – Jaresko

Ukraine’s international sovereign creditors, represented by the Ad Hoc Committee, is the only one of three groups which has thus far refused to contribute to Ukraine’s economic recovery, Finance Minister of Ukraine Natalie Jaresko said in a statement.

"For three months, despite the urgency of our situation, they have refused to engage in substantive negotiations on the terms of a debt operation meeting the three targets established in the IMF program. They have instead proposed to use our foreign exchange reserves to repay external debt in order to avoid absorbing any financial losses in the current situation," reads the statement which was posted on the finance ministry's website.

"It is against this backdrop that the government is seeking to intensify negotiations with the Ad Hoc Committee. The government is committed to finding a collaborative solution that will ensure a successful debt operation to reduce the unsustainable debt burden and create the conditions for economic recovery. The government recognizes that the creditors may not be prepared to agree, and may continue to block progress toward a solution. In this case the government is prepared to use its existing legal power to suspend payments to international commercial bondholders in order to consolidate Ukraine’s economy and preserve Ukraine’s financial resources until an acceptable deal is agreed," reads the statement.

"The Ukrainian government is committed to the implementation of policies which will restore stability to government finances and bring much needed growth and jobs to the Ukrainian economy. These policies have been developed with the full support of the IMF and other multilateral institutions, as well as Ukraine’s international friends and partners in the G-7. While the corrupt legacy of the previous regime coupled with the crippling effects of Russian aggression toward Ukraine mean that the path for Ukraine is not an easy one, the government is committed to ensuring a more prosperous and secure future for the Ukrainian people," the minister said.

She said that the burden of the current economic and financial situation in Ukraine cannot be shouldered solely by the Ukrainian people who have already paid a very heavy price. This principle is recognized in the EFF program agreed between the IMF and Ukraine, which stipulates that the financial stabilization effort must be shared by three groups: (1) the IMF ($17.5 billion in fresh financing), (2) official lenders ($7.2 billion in fresh financing) and (3) international creditors ($15.3 billion via a debt operation).

The first two groups have already contributed. The IMF has provided the first tranche of its committed funding earlier this year, and Ukraine has signed several international agreements with international partners, including the US, the EU, Japan and Canada. The next tranche of IMF funding will be provided after the first review of the program has been completed, possibly in next the coming weeks.

AD
AD
AD
AD
AD