The Government Allocated UAH 66 billion from the COVID-19 Anti-Crisis Fund to the Priority Areas

The Ministry of Finance regularly discloses information on the financial condition of the COVID-19 response fund, recipients of funds, purposes and scope of their use. It was created primarily to finance additional health and social expenditures directly related to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Initially, UAH 64.7 billion was pledged into the Fund. Taking into account the amendments adopted by the laws of Ukraine and the resolutions of the Government, the size of the fund amounted to UAH 66 billion.

As of July 24, 2020, the Government allocated UAH 66 billion from the COVID-19 Anti-Crisis Fund in priority areas. Thus, the amount of funds allocated from the Fund reached the amount of budget allocation approved in the state budget for 2020 for the Fund.

The cash expenditures of the fund as of July 23 amounted to UAH 9.8 billion.

First of all, UAH 16 billion is allocated for the health care system, in particular for providing medical workers with personal protective equipment, paying them higher salaries, purchasing the necessary equipment for hospitals, including respirators, as well as for construction, reconstruction and repair of health care facilities in hospitals.

About UAH 7 billion was spent to finance the unemployment fund, of which UAH 2.7 billion is allocated for partial unemployment benefits. Another UAH 1.2 billion has been allocated by the Ministry of Social Policy for individual entrepreneurs who cannot work due to quarantine restrictions and have children under the age of 10. Also, UAH 2.5 billion is directed to additional payments to servicemen, police and other public servants that ensure the vital activity of the population.

In addition, UAH 35 billion will be allocated for the reconstruction, repairment, and maintenance of roads. 

It should be noted that the Fund is valid for the quarantine period and 30 days following its official completion. The State Audit Office continuous to control the use of funds allocated within the Fund, to avoid or detect possible misuse of the funds.