New nutrition standards require continuous improvement of the procurement system. This is a systematic effort by the Government to simplify and facilitate this process. A recent decision of the Government will make the procurement of food for educational institutions even easier and more affordable - through the electronic Prozorro Market catalogue. This was emphasised by Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, during a meeting on the introduction of the School Nutrition Reform with the participation of First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.

"The reform of school nutrition is certainly one of the most important, so the Government is simplifying bureaucratic procedures related to the procurement of products for educational, healthcare and other budgetary institutions. We have seen in practice the effectiveness of the electronic Prozorro Market catalogue. The procurement mechanism using this tool saves time and resources, reduces the risk of corruption and saves money during procurement procedures," noted Yuliia Svyrydenko.

Under the new procedure, government agencies will purchase products with a purchase price of UAH 100,000 or more.

"This year, the Government has set a course to increase our economic self-sufficiency. And the best method is to support Ukrainian products in both public and private procurement. After all, up to 40% of the value of Ukrainian-made goods is returned to Ukrainians in the form of salaries, taxes and fees along the entire value chain. In addition, the supply of local products to educational institutions will further promote the development of local producers. The state, in turn, supports Ukrainian producers through grants for business start-up or development, affordable loan programmes and other initiatives," the First Deputy Prime Minister added.

In total, this year's budget provides over UAH 40 billion for business support programmes.