The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has set the task by increasing domestic production and implementation of the energy efficiency program to make the state energy independent in three or four years, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said.

"It is an ambitious but absolutely real challenge," he said, presenting the draft plan of the government's priority steps for 2016 in Kyiv.

Groysman welcomed the decision of the previous government of Arseniy Yatseniuk to abandon Russian gas purchases and start buying it from Europe.

The premier stressed the importance of his government's decision on a single price for natural gas, as it is an important step in fight against corruption.

He noted Ukraine in 1975 produced 63 billion cubic meters of gas per year, whereas today it extracts 19.5 billion cubic meters, of which more than 5 billion cubic meters comes from private companies. Groysman said state gas companies had not received any licenses in 2007-2013, while private companies obtained 150 special permits.

The premier assessed losses from improper and corrupt policy in the gas sector since Ukraine declared independence (in 1991) at $53 billion.