IMF review mission to start in Ukraine today

The virtual mission of the IMF on the first review of
the Stand-By program starts on Sept. 21, Interfax-Ukraine reported the same day
citing the fund’s resident representative in Ukraine Vahram Stepanyan. The
mission will be headed by Ivanna Vladkova-Hollar. Last week, Ukraine’s PM Denys
Shmyhal revealed his expectations that the IMF
would start this week, while later on, IMF’s spokesman Gerry Rice refused to confirm such timing,
only stating that the mission would start “later in September.”

Alexander Paraschiy: It is a good sign that Ukraine is “ready” to host the IMF’s virtual
mission right now. While most of the structural benchmarks listed in the
program have been implemented by Ukraine, completion of the first IMF program
review on the staff level is unlikely before Ukraine’s state budget for 2022 is
voted by the parliament, which can happen no earlier than in November. By that
time, Ukraine will have to show more progress in implementation of judicial
reform and making anti-corruption efforts, as well as not undermine any other
reform achievements, which is easier said than done.