More than 6,000 state grants worth more than UAH 4.5 billion were agreed a year after the launch of the eRobota program, which will create about 20,000 new jobs, the Communications Department of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine said on Thursday.

"Non-refundable business grants are a real government investment that promotes the growth of entrepreneurial activity, generates added value, changes the structure of exports, these are new jobs, a guarantee of social stability, development of communities," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during a forum dedicated to the anniversary of the specified program.

According to him, the Own Business direction to support micro and small-size businesses has become the main component of the eRobota program. The total amount of support in this area has already exceeded UAH 1.3 billion.

"The second component of the eRobota is processing enterprises. The program is aimed at developing Ukrainian export potential, medium-sized processing enterprises. Our strategic goal is for Ukraine to export not raw materials, but processed products with maximum added value. In total, we have already paid UAH 2.8 billion of grants to enterprises working in this area," the prime minister said.

Own Garden and Own Greenhouse became the third component of the eRobota program. According to the prime minister, UAH 500 million was issued to farmers in this area.

A separate area is grants for veterans and their families. Shmyhal said that veteran business is part of the transition from military to civilian life. "This opens up new opportunities for self-realization, new opportunities for veterans and families of the fallen defenders of Ukraine. Such support will increase the well-being of thousands of Ukrainian families and strengthen the economy," the prime minister said.

According to the head of government, in the first half of the year the state budget received more than UAH 600 billion in taxes, which were used to finance the army and the country's defense.