Head of the President Office complains about the IMF negotiations

UKRAINE - In Brief 18 Nov 2019 by Dmytro Boyarchuk

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Local web-site The Бабель wrote about an ‘off the record’ meeting of Andriy Bohdan, the Chief of Staff of the President Office with foreign and local journalists on November 15. Journalists of The Бабель did not participate at the meeting but had a talk with those who were invited. Allegedly at the meeting Andriy Bohdan has been complaining he has no idea how to persuade the IMF that Ihor Kolomoyskiy should be treated separately from the authorities. He believes Ukraine has delivered everything the IMF demanded. But now the Fund wants to know how close Kolomoyskiy is to the authorities. Bohdan said it’s difficult for him to make the IMF believe that Kolomoyskiy is playing his own game. Also he mentioned that the IMF asks questions about Ex-Deputy Head of the NBU Oleksiy Pysaruk who was arrested by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) under allegations of illegitimate refinancing provision to one of the bankrupt banks (VAB Bank of agro-oligarch Oleg Bahmatyuk). Bohdan claims the NABU is an independent body and none asked them to make this arrest. Just on the eve of the IMF arrival to Kyiv Ihor Kolomoyskiy told to New York Times that “financing from Russia could replace loans from the IMF,” and that Ukraine will take $100 billion from the Russians. Those comments raised many concerns about Ukraine’s chances to make a deal with the Fund. To make matters worse on the day the IMF mission arrived NABU arrested Oleksiy Pysaruk triggering an uproar among bankers and the NBU officials. All the events created quite an unfortunate background for discussing new deal with the Fund. Negotiations are in progress.