Ukraine fulfills one of IMF's requirements easing government's influence on NBU

The Ukrainian parliament has made amendments to the law on the state budget 2009 having thereby prohibited the Cabinet of Ministers from holding an uncontrolled issue of government bonds and approve of the procedure of banks refinancing.

The IMF insisted on cancellation of the articles 84 and 86 of the state budget as a precondition for revival of the crediting for Ukraine.

As UKRINFORM reported, at Monday's meeting with President Viktor Yushchenko on Ukraine's further cooperation with the IMF, the parties named three major requirements of the IMF, one of which has been today fulfilled by the Verkhovna Rada.

The parliament now has to fulfill two more requirements: to pass a draft law on increasing excise duties and to make amendments to the pension legislation. These draft laws have been already tabled in the parliament and should be considered this week.

At the same time, Oleksandr Shlapak, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Secretariat, noted that even adoption of these instruments does not guarantee returning of the IMF Mission to Kyiv, and the Fund can bring additional requirements relative to settlement of the problem with the state budget, namely a fiscal deficit.

UKRINFORM