"The technical IMF mission arrives on January 20 to work for two weeks specifically on customs. It will be joined by colleagues who work with us as regular consultants," the Ukrainian National News service quoted head of the State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov as saying.
Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko said earlier in the day IMF experts were expected next year to assess Ukraine’s 2016 state budget adopted early Friday as one of the main conditions for the release of its $1.7-billion loan.
The budget was adopted upon the urging of the IMF, whose team carried out its second assessment program in Ukraine on November 12-20. One of the IMF’s budget proposals was a deficit of no more than 3.7 percent of GDP.
The IMF has granted Ukraine a $17.5 billion aid package, to be distributed over the next three years. Kiev has received some $6.7 billion under the program so far, including the first $5 billion disbursement in March.
