IMF focused on support for Ukrainian govt, social programs, not the military - official

MOSCOW. Dec 29 (Interfax) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is focused on supporting Ukraine's government and social programs rather than the military, Ukrainian media cited the IMF's European Department Director Alfred Kammer as saying in an interview with Voice of America (designated in Russia as a foreign agent).

"We support and monitor the budget as a whole, not individual expenditures, and we and donors are helping the government of Ukraine to fulfill its basic functions, such as protecting vulnerable people, paying salaries, pensions, paying for education, etc. This is exactly what the [$] 122 billion financing program is aimed at," Kammer said.

"If there are additional fiscal costs due to the crisis, better management and, in particular, the National Revenue Strategy, which the government approved on December 28 to implement the terms of the IMF program, should help generate additional revenues," he said.

"We expect domestic revenues to the generated. Strengthening the economy, structural reforms that support economic activity, better governance will generate additional tax revenues," he said.