President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the presentation of the Made in Ukraine economic platform and held a meeting with representatives of the Kharkiv region business community.
The Head of State expressed gratitude to the entrepreneurs for preserving the regional economy in the time of war.
“We are ready to discuss your most pressing issues. Wherever we can help, we will,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President stressed the importance of strengthening the air defense system, restoration of the power and water supply systems, and construction of bomb shelters for schools in the Kharkiv region. The Head of State also noted that the Cabinet of Ministers will have to make a decision on compensating Kharkiv residents and local businesses for the fuel used for generators.
First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko pointed out that several state support programs are actively implemented in the Kharkiv region. “The state budget has allocated 45 billion for all support programs within the Made in Ukraine initiative, and at least one and a half billion will be allocated to the Kharkiv region. This amount is not a limit. The more actively enterprises participate in support programs, the higher the amount may be. Together with Kharkiv region businesses, we also raised the issue of expanding localization to new product categories and giving priority to Ukrainian manufacturers in public procurement. Both as a state and as citizens, we need to buy domestic products. Especially when Ukrainian goods are produced in these difficult conditions,” she emphasized.
During the dialogue with business representatives, it was said that the government is currently working on solutions based on the situation in the region. In particular, the possibility of increasing the amount of microgrants for businesses in the Kharkiv region from UAH 250,000 to UAH 500,000 is being considered. In addition, ministries and departments were instructed to consider the possibility of providing portfolio guarantees to micro, small, and medium enterprises in Kharkiv, as well as to establish preferential rates for rail freight transportation from stations in the frontline areas.
