Distinguished colleagues! Dear Ukrainians!
We are starting a regular meeting of the Government.
On Friday, the President of Ukraine convened the National Security and Defense Council. One of the key issues on the agenda is the security of our citizens across the country.
By the decree, Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted the NSDC decision on the results of the inspection of shelters. 77% of shelters in Ukraine are suitable for use, but unfortunately, there are many that do not meet any standards.
In some places, the situation is unacceptable. We are talking about a number of districts in Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Zhytomyr, Kyiv regions and the city of Kyiv. Today, the Government will make personnel and disciplinary decisions to fulfill the instructions of the National Security and Defense Council.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has also issued a decree that Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshyn will coordinate and control all issues and processes related to bomb shelters.
The President has clearly set a task: there should be more shelters, they should be properly equipped and prepared. We are giving Minister Kamyshyn every opportunity to develop and quickly submit the necessary decisions to fulfill these tasks.
Another issue that was also discussed at the NSDC is the condition of bridges. There are problems and challenges that are not being addressed in some regions.
We set up a commission to inspect the condition of bridges, which will be headed by Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksandr Kubrakov. We are waiting for a report on the condition of the bridges, and then the appropriate decisions are to be adopted.
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Reconstruction should be in the focus of every minister, regional and local leader. This is one of the main vectors by which the work will be evaluated.
Now let me tell you more about this area.
We have created the Fund for the Elimination of the Consequences of Armed Aggression. This is one of the main sources of funding for reconstruction. We have accumulated almost UAH 62 billion in the Fund.
The Government has allocated UAH 23.5 billion for various recovery projects. In particular, UAH 4.4 billion was earmarked for the eVidnovlennia program. UAH 6.6 billion - to rebuild critical infrastructure, UAH 1.5 billion - for new water pipelines to provide cities in the South with drinking water. UAH 1 billion - to restore damaged and destroyed facilities after the terrorist attack at the Kakhovka HPP.
Now we can see that despite the allocated funds, the projects are moving too slowly. Therefore, I repeat once again for all heads of central executive bodies and local authorities: recovery is a priority, people are waiting for help!
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One of the five priorities of the Government for this year is to help citizens repair damaged housing.
Today we are to approve two decrees that will allow to attract funds from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It is a concessional loan of USD 70 million and a grant of USD 152.5 million for the implementation of the eVidnovlennia program. That is, we will be able to allocate more than UAH 8 billion to restore the housing of our citizens. Tens of thousands of families will be able to receive funds to repair their homes affected by the russian terror as soon as possible.
Now, under the eVidnovlennia program, 21,600 applications have been submitted, while only 378 applications have been transferred for payment. It’s only 2%. This is unsatisfactory work.
Government has created all the tools, adopted the necessary resolutions, procedures and documents, and created a digital architecture for the entire process. Local leaders and commissions must accelerate their work.
Meaning fast I mean weeks, but not months, we give to remedy the situation.
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The next issue on the agenda.
On July 1, we will end the quarantine and emergency regime in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 has been a challenge for Ukrainians. All our decisions during this time were aimed at saving lives.
While the pandemic was underway, we developed response mechanisms that proved useful during a full-scale war. Now we respond to new challenges armed with new methods and approaches.
I am grateful to the medical professionals who have been selflessly fighting the pandemic all these years and have done everything to minimize its consequences.
Today, our doctors and nurses are equally heroic in helping our defenders and civilians in a full-scale war. Once again, they are doing an incredible job and demonstrating extraordinary heroism.
Thank you for that!
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So let's keep working - efficiently and in a coordinated manner. We are bringing the country closer to victory.
Thank you for your attention! Glory to Ukraine!