For almost 4 consecutive months we have been living through an all-out war. Despite all the challenges, we have managed to maintain the macroeconomic and macrofinancial stability of our state. But this is insufficient. We need to completely restart the economy, change the economic model and commence doing the groundwork for recovery.

Therefore, the Government, on commission of the President of Ukraine, has devised a new economic strategy and new programs to stimulate economic advancement. One of the essential elements of the strategy will be the support of small and medium-sized businesses. We have already reduced taxes, made it possible to obtain loans at 0%, introduced the declarative principle of working under licenses, abandoned most inspections.

Now the Government has embarked on introduction of a new large project of non-refundable grant support for new businesses. Today we will approve three grant schemes and three more programs will be approved shortly. An important focus of all these programs is the creation of new jobs and the possibility of applying for a grant online. That's why we've combined all these programs under the common name "eRobota" [Ukrainian for eWork].

The first program envisages micro-grants of up to UAH 250,000 for those who want to create a startup. Any Ukrainian who has a business plan and a firm intention to launch his own business can count on the support of the state.

We plan to issue 20,000 such grants during the year. Accordingly, the program budget for the year is UAH 5 billion. We are talking about the possibility of starting any microbusiness, such as manufacturing clothing and footwear, dry cleaning, service or repair center, car repair shop, installation activities and more.

Any Ukrainian citizen who neither works at other enterprises nor manages other business can become a participant of the program. To obtain a grant, it is required to submit an application through the Diia portal or an Oschadbank branch office, adding a business plan to the application. Within 10 working days, experts from Oschadbank and the State Employment Center will evaluate the project, and if it meets the criteria of the program, the grant funds will be transferred to your account.

I wish to emphasize the state does not provide a grant in cash but in a separate bank account. One can use this account to purchase equipment, raw materials, buy tools, partially pay the rent. But it will not be possible to spend these funds for other purposes, the bank will control the compliance of payments with the approved business plan.

In addition, new entrepreneurs will be eligible for getting a soft loan under the program "5-7-9" in the amount of up to UAH 2.5 million. These are the resources to be spent for the construction or reconstruction of premises, for the purchase of additional equipment, current capital financing.

We offer an opportunity to everyone who is eager and prepared to launch a startup, to create new jobs in Ukraine, to do it now. We believe that small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of a successful country. And we embed this faith and philosophy into our new program.

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The next two non-repayable grant programs relate to the agricultural sector. This implies the creation of gardens and greenhouses.

Under the program of partial compensation for the cost of creating greenhouses, the grant amount is from UAH 5 to 7 million. The expected number of grants is 3,000 per annum. The total budget of the program is UAH 7 billion. Participants in the program can be both private entrepreneurs and agricultural companies as also farms that own or lease land for at least 25 years’ period.

Funds from the grant can be directed to the construction of the complex, the purchase of technical equipment to ensure operation, the purchase of seeds and fertilizers. Given that the amount of the grant under this program is much higher, the principle of co-financing is introduced. For the first thousand participants, 70% of the project cost is financed by the state, and 30% - by the entrepreneur.

In order to receive a grant, one should also apply through the Diia or an authorized bank. The key requirement is the employment of staff and the payment of taxes.

We have studied the needs and potential of our farmers and we anticipate that the program will be really successful. The creation of new greenhouse complexes for growing vegetables and fruits will help ramp up our exports and saturate the Ukrainian market with quality products.

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And the last program we are to endorse today envisages grants to support horticulture, berry growing and viticulture. We are talking about partial compensation for the cost of gardens. The state will provide from UAH 300,000 to 400,000 per 1 hectare of gardens area. This is about 70% of the average cost of planting.

The expected number of grants will not be based on the number of enterprises but on the area of plantations. We now refer to the grants for planting 10,000 hectares of new gardens. The total budget of the program is UAH 4 billion. Like in the program with greenhouses, grantees must have either their own land or land in use for at least 25 years. The area of your garden under the program can be from 1 to 25 hectares. The funds will also be provided not in cash, but in a bank account for the transparent purchase of seedlings, equipment, irrigation systems, fertilizers, etc.

In total, the state will allocate UAH 16 billion for the aforementioned three programs of the "eRobota" project. The decision to allocate such funding is to be made today. Part of the funds to support the business will be disbursed by our foreign partners. Such agreements are already in place with certain EU countries. We call on all states having the desire to support Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses to join in co-financing grants.

In the near future, the Government will also approve programs of non-repayable grant support in the field of processing, IT. We will continue to develop this program.

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Simultaneously with the launch of the grant funding program for the creation of new businesses, the Government triggers a reform of the entire employment sector.

Against the background of the full-scale war, we need to mobilize all possible resources to defeat the russian occupiers. This also applies to the organization of work in the rear. The Government is going today to approve a document stipulating that officially registered unemployed people who have not been employed for 30 days will be involved in community service. This may be the dismantling of debris, construction of protective structures, landscaping, repair or agricultural work. What exactly needs to be done in each region will be determined by local authorities.

This work will certainly be paid. The state will pay a minimum wage to everyone involved in community service. We are actually eliminating the possibility that people could receive money from the state and refuse the offered job. In wartime, the state does not have the resources to do so. Everyone must either fight and defend the Motherland or work for victory and for the front.

I emphasize that the status and unemployment benefits are now lost if a person stays abroad for more than 30 days during martial law.

Our task now is simple and clear - everyone must work for the sake of victory. This requires consolidating all possible resources.

All these measures to create new jobs, reform the employment sector, grant assistance to businesses - are all the components of the new economic policy enabling our country to withstand, win, begin to rapidly rehabilitate and rebuild our state.

Thank you for attention.

Glory to Ukraine.