The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is continuing negotiations with the Ukrainian authorities on a bill on the High Anti-Corruption Court with the aim of bringing the document into compliance with the country's obligations under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Goesta Ljungman told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

It is very important that a public council consisting of independent experts with extensive and recognized experience in the fight against corruption be given a decisive role in certifying that the candidates for judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court have the necessary skills to pass sentences on corruption-related cases, he said.

Regarding Ukraine's progress in the EFF program, Ljungman recalled that for the fourth review the country's authorities must also bring domestic gas tariffs to the market level, ensure that the state budget deficit is kept at the end of 2018 within 2.5% of GDP set in the program.

As reported, the four-year-EFF program worth SDR 12.348 billion (about $17.46 billion at the current forex rate) was launched in March 2015 with a first disbursement of $5 billion. It originally suggested a quarterly review of the program, the allocation of three more tranches worth SDR 1.18 billion each in 2015 and a reduction in quarterly disbursements in 2016-2018 to SDR 0.44 billion ($0.62 billion).

According to the IMF, this is the 9th program of cooperation between Ukraine and the IMF. The first stand-by program was opened way back in April 1995. Ukraine has managed to fully implement only one program, and another three were completed with changes.

Under the ongoing program, Ukraine has managed to receive a second tranche worth $1.7 billion early in August 2015 with a little delay, which was followed by a long break as Ukraine had failed to meet a number of conditions, which was aggravated by the political crisis and government reshuffles.

Talks on further financing resumed after the appointment of a new Cabinet of Ministers headed by Volodymyr Groysman in April 2016. However, the IMF decided to issue a third disbursement worth $1 billion only in the middle of September 2016 and a fourth one on April 3, 2017.

The receipt of the next tranche of the IMF loan, which was originally scheduled for May-June 2017, has been postponed for an indefinite term due to the Ukrainian side's failure to fulfill certain conditions.

The IMF continues to insist that the Ukrainian authorities adopt legislation on the High Anti-Corruption Court in accordance with the country's obligations as part of the EFF program. In addition, the IMF expects Ukraine to implement other delayed measures needed to achieve the objectives of the program, including in the energy and fiscal sectors.