World Bank: Not all projects in Ukraine are moving as fast as they should
Satu Kahkonen, the World Bank Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, has complained that the implementation of projects in Ukraine is progressing too slowly due to inefficient management.
"Our portfolio of investments in Ukraine is large; they focus on such important areas as health care, social assistance, housing subsidies, energy, roads, and drainage. These are the means that should help ordinary Ukrainians improve their standard of living and bring real benefits. Regrettably, not all projects are moving as fast as we would like," she said in an interview with ZN.ua.
"The problem, as a rule, is ineffective management. And there can be two reasons for this ineffectiveness: either inadequate allocation of funds (especially in the case of co-financing projects), or problems with organizing and conducting tender procedures. Ministries responsible for the implementation of the projects in Ukraine, unfortunately, are working very slowly and inefficiently. The signing of contracts for the implementation of these or other works is significantly delayed, which means that the actualization of projects as a whole is also hindered," she added.
"There are delays at all levels. Moreover, it is very difficult to generalize any reasons, as they differ depending on the project and each time there are different causes of delays," stressed Kahkonen.
According to Kahkonen, high-ranking officials should closely monitor such projects and speed up their implementation.
The World Bank, along with the International Monetary Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is a key donor to Ukraine.