Ukrainian govt begins technical consultations with World Bank to launch $2.7-bln RISE program

MOSCOW. Sept 26 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian government began technical consultations with the World Bank (WB) this week regarding the launch of the Resilient and Inclusive Supply-Chain Enhancement (RISE) Program, Ukrainian First Deputy Economy Minister Alexei Sobolev said.

"The Ukrainian Economy Ministry along with the Ukrainian Finance Ministry will be in charge of implementing the RISE Program, which will have a $2.7-billion total budget by 2027. We expect to sign an agreement with the World Bank in a month," Ukrainian media quoted him as saying.

RISE will help implement a number of crucial reforms, including increasing the efficiency of state support for small and medium-sized businesses with a focus on green competitiveness, improving the business environment and digital G2B services, as well as expanding SMEs' access to export markets, Sobolev said.