Overview
- An IMF team led by Mission Chief Gavin Gray began meetings in Kyiv to discuss macroeconomic policy and key structural reforms, the Fund said.
- Ukraine received a $1.5 billion first tranche on March 3 under a four-year, $8.1 billion Extended Fund Facility, with subsequent tranches contingent on meeting program conditions.
- Lawmakers are under pressure to approve tax increases for individual entrepreneurs and small businesses by the end of March, with officials estimating about 250,000 entrepreneurs would be affected.
- Parliament failed on March 10 to pass bill No. 14025 on automatic exchange of information for digital-platform income, and the government has prepared amendments that include ending a parcel tax exemption up to EUR 150, introducing VAT for sole proprietors, and maintaining a 5% military levy after martial law.
- Ukraine needs an estimated $45–$52 billion in external financing this year, and IMF backing is viewed as crucial for broader support, including an EU €90 billion loan currently held up by Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban.