IMF says Ukraine loan programme under threat

  18 December 2015    Read: 744
IMF says Ukraine loan programme under threat
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday it was concerned by signs Ukraine`s parliament might reject a proposed tax code and budget for 2016, warning that this could further disrupt its $17.5 billion bailout programme.
Disagreement in parliament over critical tax reforms and the draft budget has held up the disbursement of a third $1.7 billion tranche from the IMF at a time when divisions in the ruling coalition have raised concerns the government could fall.

The government has sought to compromise on its tax proposals with parliament, but the IMF said lawmakers` discussions on Thursday amounted to an effective rejection of the reforms required under the IMF programme.

"Approval of a budget consistent with the program objective of reducing the general government deficit to 3.7 percent of GDP is a key condition for the completion of the (IMF aid) program," David Lipton, the IMF`s first deputy director, said in a statement.

"Approval of a budget that deviates from program objectives for 2016 and the medium-term will interrupt the program and inevitably disrupt the associated international financing."

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