New funds follow steps by Ukravtodor towards strengthening governance
-€190 million loan tranche to upgrade sections of M-05 Kyiv-Odesa road
-Funds extended as road agency takes steps towards strengthening governance
-Reform at Ukravtodor a litmus test for broader anti-corruption programme
Encouraged by steps taken by Ukraine’s state road agency Ukravtodor, the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a new €190 million loan tranche for further improvements to the country’s road infrastructure.
Part of a €450 million package, the tranche will finance the upgrade of sections of the M-05 Kyiv-Odesa road in the Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions.
The provision of the new tranche follows efforts by Ukravtodor to review its governance systems, with a view to advancing reforms. These include a comprehensive anti-corruption action plan developed by independent experts, which was approved by a high-level steering group comprising representatives of the government, the president’s office, the EBRD and Ukravtodor itself.
The plan, which is already being implemented, envisages a robust approach to integrity compliance, improved corporate governance and internal anti-corruption controls, policies and procedures. It also aims to pave the way for a culture of integrity throughout the organisation.
Ukravtodor’s effort to fight corruption in road building is the pilot programme under the memorandum of understanding signed in October 2020 between the government of Ukraine and the EBRD to strengthen corporate governance in the state sector. It is seen as a litmus test for a broader anti-corruption and good governance programme backed by the EBRD and targeting Ukrainian state-owned enterprises and public-sector entities.
In addition, Ukravtodor has prepared an e-mobility action plan to support electric-vehicle deployment in the country and is establishing a Road Safety Department.
The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Ukraine. To date, the Bank has invested almost €16 billion in 506 projects across the country, with a focus on assisting economic stabilisation, anchoring reforms, strengthening energy efficiency and energy security, and supporting agricultural and industrial projects as well as smaller businesses.
