We support NBU independence, but how to live if budget based on UAH 30/$1 – Zelensky
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that because of the hryvnia exchange rate that has been maintained in the country lately, Ukrainian enterprises "have lost millions and closed."
"I completely agree with you. The fact that companies lost millions and closed because of this rate is true. We have been fighting this since the very beginning of my term, since the summer [of 2019]. Everyone around us said that we have an independent bank [the National Bank]. Yes, and we support the independence of the National Bank of Ukraine. But we told everyone that how can we live, even if our budget is calculated at the rate of UAH 30 per $1, and you see what hryvnia we have. We were told that these are market conditions, the bank is independent, etc., and you all know this very well," he said at a meeting with businesses in Chernivtsi region.
According to Zelensky, all entrepreneurs "perfectly understand" the situation with the head of the National Bank of Ukraine.
The president also pointed out that there are enough "people who help Ukraine" around and cited as an example the statement of ex-head of the National Bank Valeriya Gontareva that the IMF should not provide support to Ukraine until an independent head of the National Bank is appointed.
"Therefore, we perfectly understand you, we know how many Ukrainian enterprises simply closed because of this exchange rate, and everything else, and COVID-19 ... We will get out of this situation, stabilize everything, I'm sure of that," Zelensky emphasized.