The revision of the cooperation program between Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund is expected in May 2018.
Well-informed sources familiarized with the negotiations with leaders of the IMF said this to Ukrainian News Agency.
According to them, work on amendments to the Anticorruption Law and their adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will take up to three months.
If this happens, the revision of the cooperation program between Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund and allocation of the next tranche can be in May 2018.
"This forecast for May is quite realistic," a source said.
According to information made available to Ukrainian News Agency, the next tranche can be worth USD 1.9 billion.
The sources believe that the adoption of the amendments to the Anticorruption Law will help settle other disputed questions.
The International Monetary Fund made it clear in 2017 that creation of the Anticorruption Court would open the doors for the negotiations on other topics wider.
"The law will be amended," a source in the Presidential Administration said to Ukrainian News Agency. However, it is not known which changes will be introduced.
According to the information available to Ukrainian News Agency, Ukraine will insist on provisions that the Anticorruption Court cannot be a separate branch of the government and should be in the general structure of the judiciary in compliance with the Ukrainian Constitution.
This can be achieved through adoption of a norm on consideration of appeals by the Supreme Court.
As for the question of appointment of judges, it should be dealt by the Public Integrity Council, which will have a right to veto appointment of certain candidates.
"If the problems with the court are resolved, the next topic will be gas prices. It will be easier to discuss the issue," a source told Ukrainian News Agency in November 2017.
In the summer of 2017, the International Monetary Fund did not exclude they might agree with revision of the formula of calculation of gas prices for households, but no sooner than in April 2018 when governmental resolution No.187 expires. Provisions of the governmental resolution had been agreed with the International Monetary Fund in April 2017. In line with the governmental resolution the gas prices for households had to be increased by 17.6% in October 2017.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the National Bank of Ukraine believes that Ukraine should begin negotiations with the International Monetary Fund on a new program before the end of the current program.
The current Extended Fund Facility program started in March 2015 and will last until March 2019.
The EFF loan program is worth a total of USD 17.5 billion over a period of four years, out of which Ukraine has thus far received only USD 8.7 billion (Ukraine received the first tranche of USD 5 billion in March 2015, the second tranche of USD 1.7 billion in August 2015, the third tranche of USD 1 billion in September 2016, and the fourth tranche of USD 1 billion in April 2017).
The National Bank of Ukraine expects Ukraine to receive an additional USD 3.5 billion from the IMF in 2018.
The IMF has already said that continuation of its cooperation with Ukraine required adoption of a law on privatization, establish an anti-corruption court, resolve the issue of gas prices, and implement land reform.
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