Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine — Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba held a meeting with a World Bank delegation led by Regional Director for Eastern Europe Robert Soma.
The discussion focused on the launch of a state housing support programme for internally displaced persons from temporarily occupied territories. The programme provides financial assistance for the purchase of housing or obtaining a mortgage. It is intended for people who are unable to take advantage of existing compensation mechanisms because they cannot confirm the destruction of their homes in temporarily occupied territories.
“We value our partnership with the World Bank and are working on complex solutions with a clear understanding of the goals. The issue of housing for IDPs from temporarily occupied territories is the state’s obligation to people who have lost their homes due to the war. We are creating tools that allow us to support them today and at the same time lay the legal foundation for future reparations,” said Oleksiy Kuleba.
In the first phase of the project, priority will be given to combatants, persons with disabilities as a result of the war, and families of deceased defenders. The concept also provides for a mechanism for recording state expenditures with the prospect of further reimbursement through international reparations mechanisms.
Currently, the Ministry of Development team is working on an updated version of the project proposal, taking into account the comments received from the World Bank. Further agreement on the details between the teams is expected.
Separately, the parties discussed the current state of implementation of the railway sector reform. The Ministry informed the World Bank about the introduction of a phased reform model. This involves priority work on the implementation of the Law ‘On Safety and Interoperability of Railway Transport in Ukraine.’ It should ensure the technical integration of the railway into the EU system. The next step should be the implementation of legislation to create a competitive railway transport market. This approach has been agreed with European institutions.
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