The Ukrainian government is planning to spend the fourth tranche of
the International Monetary Fund loan to cover the national budget
deficit, says Ukraine's Acting Finance Minister Ihor Umanskyi.
“We addressed the IMF with the request to examine the possibility of
channeling those funds to finance the national budget deficit, at least
partially,” he said, UKRINFORM reported.
At the same time, Umanskyi noted that there is no final answer to this question.
Now the government is drafting a letter of intent to the Fund.
Umanskyi also says Ukraine hopes that the IMF board will pass the
decision on allocation of the fourth tranche within the set terms, in
mid-November.
As reported, the IMF approved the Stand-By Arrangement with Ukraine
in November 2008 in an amount equivalent to about USD 16.4 billion, and
allocated the first disbursement of USD 4.5 billion.
On May 12, 2009 Ukraine received the second tranche worth USD 2.8 billion.
A part of that tranche, worth USD 1.5 billion, was sent directly to
the national budget of Ukraine to finance the government's external
commitments.
The third tranche amounted to USD 3.3 billion increased of the USD 3.2 billion planned.
The fourth, of USD 3.8 billion, is expected to come before the end of 2009.
