During a press briefing, Director of the Communications Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Jerry Rice said that ensuring the independence of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) is one of the fundamental issues in relations with Kiev.
“The independence of the Central Bank (Ukraine. -
RT
) is a key aspect of macroeconomic stability, investor confidence, financial stability, protection of the financial system, and so on.
So this issue is extremely important for us, ”Rice said.
Another important aspect of interaction with official Kiev, according to the head of the IMF press office, is the effective activity of anti-corruption institutions in Ukraine.
“In addition, I would add that maintaining the integrity and independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions and their effectiveness are also the most important prerequisites for investment, economic growth and a condition for the current IMF support program, the status of which is still under discussion,” Rice said.
"Some things may be unconstitutional"
Recall that currently Kiev is in the status of a participant in the 18-month stand-by program in the amount of about $ 5 billion.Under the program in June last year, Ukraine received $ 2.1 billion. Kiev expects to receive four more tranches: two - $ 700 million each, one - in the amount of $ 560 million and the final one - in the amount of $ 980 million. The program ends at the end of 2021.
According to sources of the Interfax-Ukraine agency, earlier the stand-by program was actually put on "pause" due to the policy of Kiev, which, according to the fund, contradicts the basic principles of cooperation.
In particular, the IMF is unhappy with the reduction in gas tariffs for the population, the large deficit of the Ukrainian state budget and the interference of the authorities in the work of structures created earlier at the insistence of the West: NABU (National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) and SAP (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office).
IMF headquarters
AFP
© Karen Bleier
As a result, the IMF sent a virtual mission to the country to review the stand-by program, which ended in mid-February this year without making a positive decision on the allocation of the next tranche.
In addition, the fund, as recalled by Jerry Rice, insists that Kiev adopt a law to strengthen the independence of the National Bank from the executive and legislative branches of government.
According to the publication "STRANA.ua", the creditor is dissatisfied with the reduction of powers of the first deputy head of the NBU Ekaterina Rozhkova, whom Kiev had previously tried to dismiss, and the sluggish process of collecting debts from the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, who fell under US sanctions in early March.
Experts believe that the adoption of the law on strengthening the independence of the National Bank is necessary for the IMF to strengthen its own control over the regulator.
Thus, the NBU will serve the interests not of the Ukrainian leadership, but of an international creditor.
“This is not about the independence of the National Bank of Ukraine, but about its autonomy in relation to the government of Ukraine.
The IMF strives to ensure that the regulator becomes the embodiment of its will, "- Kirill Koktysh, associate professor of MGIMO, explained in a commentary to RT.
Another source of disagreement between Kiev and the IMF is the situation in the judicial system of Ukraine.
On February 22, speaking at the Ukraine 30. Infrastructure forum, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the fund requires the adoption of a law on the High Council of Justice (SCJ), to which the authorities have a number of questions.
“We agree with some things, but we don't.
As a guarantor of the state, I defend the independence of Ukraine, ”Zelensky explained.
On March 1, during the Ukraine 30. Development of Justice forum, the Ukrainian leader spoke about the importance of legislative regulation of the work of the High Council of Justice and the High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCU), the creation of which is also sought by the IMF.
The movement in this direction has already begun.
In early March, the Verkhovna Rada approved in the first reading a bill that regulates the work of the VKKS.
The commission should consist of 16 members and be formed by the High Council of Justice for a four-year term based on the results of a competition.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
© president.gov.ua
According to experts, Zelensky is now in a difficult situation.
On the one hand, he seeks to prevent an excessive increase in influence in the judicial system of the SCJ and VKKS, and on the other, he tries to use them as a counterbalance to the disloyal Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU).
We will remind, in the fall of last year, by its resolutions, the CCU abolished a number of powers of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC), and also recognized unconstitutional criminal liability for inaccurate declaration of income of officials.
The partial dismantling of the anti-corruption infrastructure built at the insistence of the West caused a negative reaction from the G7, the EU and the IMF.
Zelensky also spoke out categorically against the decisions of the Constitutional Court, accusing the judicial authority of an attempt to "usurp power."
The conflict with the judges, which has lasted for almost half a year, is still not resolved.
"The West is tired of Ukraine"
Reforming the judicial system of Ukraine is a condition for transferring a new financial tranche to Kiev.
This was announced on March 1 on the air of the Ukraine 24 TV channel by the presidential adviser on economic issues Oleg Ustenko.
According to him, Zelensky did a lot of work with parliamentarians to clarify the current situation, and now the Verkhovna Rada must adopt the changes to the legislation necessary to receive the next tranche.
We are talking about the need for judicial reform and ensuring the functioning of the anti-corruption infrastructure.
“As soon as the corresponding legislative initiatives of the president are voted in the Verkhovna Rada, we can say that from our side we have fulfilled what we promised.
They promised to fulfill not only the IMF - we do not do it for someone, we do it for the Ukrainian people, ”Ustenko said.
Meanwhile, according to the sources of the STRANA.ua publication in the National Bank of Ukraine, Kiev is forced to pay a penalty for not using credit funds in a planned manner.
According to Kirill Koktysh, the IMF has created a system of obligations that does not allow Ukraine to "get off the hook" in the event of sabotage of meeting the requirements for reforms and the appointment of officials recommended by the West.
“In principle, the IMF could put pressure on the Ukrainian leadership with those debts that have already been accumulated, and here comes blackmail with new tranches.
The task of the fund is to strengthen the mechanisms of control over Kiev and legally consolidate them.
As a result, we get the colonial status of modern Ukraine, ”Koktysh argues.
Rostislav Ishchenko, president of the Center for Systems Analysis and Forecasting, adheres to a similar point of view.
In an interview with RT, the expert said that it does not matter for the IMF how effectively the state and anti-corruption institutions of Ukraine will work.
The main goal of the reforms, which the fund insists on, is to create an infrastructure that will allow controlling the Ukrainian elite.
According to Ishchenko, in the Ukrainian direction, the IMF acts "as one of the bodies of the collective West to establish external control."
“The reform of the judicial system is an example of how the West is trying to force Ukraine to form bodies under its control and to appoint judges on the recommendation of foreign advisers.
It does not matter for the foundation how adequately the judicial system will work, whether it will generally protect the rights of citizens, ”Ishchenko stressed.
According to the expert, Zelensky's refusal to accept the conditions of the IMF threatens to turn into a sharp deterioration in the socio-economic situation of the population and political destabilization.
“If we ignore the current contradictions, then in general the IMF is profitable to continue lending to Ukraine.
In addition, most of the allocated tranches are spent on debt servicing, which is what keeps Ukraine afloat.
In my opinion, the current tough position of the IMF is connected with the fact that in the West they are simply tired of Ukraine and are more occupied with their own problems, "Ishchenko summed up.