Dear colleagues, fellow Ukrainians!

We are starting a regular meeting of the Government.

This year we are finishing the second month of winter with a stable situation in the energy sector.

Last year, we lived under constant restrictions and blackouts. Today, there are no such conditions in any region and there are no plans to do so.

After 50% of the power system was hit by enemy missiles and drones, we carried out extensive repairs and added 2.2 GW of capacity to the grid.

We have also increased our electricity import capacity to 1.7 GW, thanks to full synchronisation with the ENTSO-E network.

Despite the constant attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, especially in the east of the country, which continue this winter with rockets and shaheds, we have light in our homes, thanks largely to our power engineers.

We are grateful to them for this daily, hard, dangerous work.

We are also grateful to our partners who have been helping us in every way with funds, machinery and equipment.

Last year alone, we received cargoes from 35 countries.

The Ukraine Energy Support Fund has collected actual and pledged contributions of more than EUR 400 million.

Help is still coming in. USAID recently delivered two high-voltage autotransformers to Ukrenergo, which are already in operation and strengthening our energy resilience. In total, we plan to receive 16 such transformers.

Another project with USAID is the installation of gas turbine plants to decentralise the power system. We will purchase 91 units for 32 towns. One is already successfully operating in Khmelnytskyi region.

All this will make our energy system even more resilient and less vulnerable to enemy attacks.

Nuclear power generation has been and will remain the basis of our energy sector.

We have ambitious projects for its development together with the American company Westinghouse.

We are talking about the construction of two power units at the Khmelnytskyi NPP using the latest technologies.

This is a long-term project, but it is essential for the energy independence of our country.

We are already creating the basis for our recovery and further growth.

At the same time, we continue to support Ukrainian families by maintaining a preferential electricity tariff for households.

It has been and will remain at UAH 2.64 per kWh.

In general, the Government does not plan to change the tariffs for the population this winter.

***

The situation in the energy sector has a direct impact on business activity.

This, in turn, affects the economic recovery and our ability to finance the defence of the state.

Therefore, we will support Ukrainian businesses and introduce additional incentives for our entrepreneurs.

In this regard, we have important decisions of the National Security and Defence Council and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Two decrees were signed on the establishment of the All-Ukrainian Economic Platform and the Council for Entrepreneurship.

These are communication platforms aimed at strengthening interaction between the state and entrepreneurs, eliminating misunderstandings and improving the business climate.

Our Government is also working in this area.

We have submitted draft laws to the Parliament to re-launch the Economic Security Bureau.

We are working on several more initiatives to address the problem of unjustified searches of businesses, seizure of documents and property arrests.

I would also like to emphasise that the relevant bodies will be tasked with regulating the issue of profit margins for state contracts in defence procurement.

This issue must be resolved so that businesses can work, develop and invest in the defence of our country.

***

In total, over UAH 40 billion has been earmarked in the state budget for business support and economic stimulus programmes.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, we have significantly updated the 5-7-9 programme and refocused it on small and medium-sized businesses. Under this programme, more than 45,000 affordable loans worth UAH 182.6 billion have already been granted to entrepreneurs.

We also use the instrument of state guarantees on a portfolio basis. Last year, 13,600 loans worth almost UAH 45 billion were granted under this instrument.

Another area is grant support under the eRobota programme.

Here the state has invested more than UAH 6.5 billion in business development. The micro-grant component accounts for almost half of these funds.

As of today, 13,500 entrepreneurs have received UAH 3 billion to start and develop their own businesses. As a result, up to 25,000 jobs have been created.

The eRobota programme also focuses on processing. About UAH 3.3 billion of grant funds were allocated to processing companies. This is how we increase the share of added value in Ukrainian products and change the structure of exports.

In 2024, this support will be maintained and improved.

We continue to work to strengthen the front and the rear for Ukraine’s victory.

Thank you for your attention!

Glory to Ukraine!