"Accessible loans": The Ministry of Economy aims to settle its debts to banks within the next few years.

The debt owed to banks for the subsidized interest rate under the "Affordable Loans 5-7-9%" program primarily arose from support for working capital in 2022. The repayment of this debt is planned to be gradual. 

This was reported by Deputy Minister of Economy Andriy Telyupa in an interview with "Interfax-Ukraine". 

"These loans are being gradually extended, and we cannot abruptly close everything. However, in 2024 we have already implemented changes: we reduced the banks' margin and revised the conditions of the program. We are also collaborating with the World Bank and the IMF to improve the program, aiming to eliminate the debt over the next few years," said the deputy minister.

Telyupa mentioned that in 2024, 18 billion UAH was allocated for interest rate compensation under the program. This allowed for the financing of nearly 25 thousand subsidized loans amounting to 92 billion UAH. The same amount of funds is planned for interest rate compensation in 2025. 

According to the deputy minister, in 2024 the focus has shifted – less support for current operations and more for long-term investments: investment loans, loans for processing, and support for regions with high military risks. 

"Our goal is for the program to support only priority and vulnerable categories of businesses, while other enterprises can access loans under acceptable market conditions," Telyupa noted. 

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that at the beginning of 2024, the state owed banks 7.1 billion UAH under the "Affordable Loans 5-7-9%" program. The Accounting Chamber projected that by the end of the year, this debt could rise to 11.5 billion UAH.