Saturday, 16 November 2024 01:00 
🏗️About Ukraine’s Reconstruction Now: New Challenges, Priorities, and Funding Sources
As part of the Recovery Construction Forum 3.0, a panel discussion took place, with representatives from global government and financial institutions, as well as international and humanitarian organizations.
🌐 "We will focus on the challenges, priorities, and financing – the key components of Ukraine's future reconstruction," said Domenico Campogrande, Director General of the FIEC, opening the moderation of the first discussion panel.
🌇The role of the “yeOselya” (eHousing) program in Ukraine's reconstruction and the results of its work over the past two years were presented by Ievhen Metsger, Chairman of the Management Board, Ukrainian Financial Housing Company. This includes more than 14,100 mortgages under preferential terms for a total amount of 556 million dollars, which has provided housing for 8.5 thousand children.
He explained how mortgages worked previously and what were the improvements provided by yeOselya. Among the main advantages of yeOselya, which allow for such results: maximum transparency, protection for investors, stimulation of tax revenues, and job creation. They also touched upon the possibility of attracting foreign funding to support the program.
Transparency is one of the most important elements in partnerships with international organizations. At the same time, the program follows European standards for home accreditation, particularly energy efficiency and building safety, which makes it attractive to potential investors.
Mr. Metsger focused in detail on the mortgage application process, highlighting its ease and accessibility, facilitated by a high level of digitization. For example, the quickest decision received from a bank regarding mortgage approval took just 3 seconds.
"In Ukraine, everyone knows about this program. It truly fulfills the dreams of Ukrainians about their own homes," emphasized Mr. Metsger.
💰Denis Gaiovy, Associate Director, Senior Banker of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), discussed what the bank can do, what it is already doing, and its plans. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, EBRD has financed Ukraine with 5 billion euros, reflecting a significant increase in support compared to previous years.
He outlined the main areas of focus: infrastructure, energy infrastructure, renewable energy, and cooperation with both state and municipal as well as private companies.
The speaker explained the tools and mechanisms EBRD uses to support projects in Ukraine. “If there is a desire, there is an idea – come to us! We are ready to learn about it,” Denis Gaiovy invited, also explaining the application submission process.
A significant area with large-scale projects also planned is transport infrastructure. Mr. Gaiovy listed several ongoing projects receiving active funding. He also discussed the specifics of working and attracting funding in the municipal infrastructure sector.
♻️Dr.Ima Khrenova-Shymkina, Project Manager, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, spoke about the projects GIZ is implementing in Ukraine in the areas of energy and climate, governance, digitalization, and more.
“Our technical support is focused on helping Ukraine create the conditions for attracting investments, carrying out reforms, and surviving in a war situation. We are also working on helping Ukraine become part of the European community,” stated Ms. Khrenova-Shymkina.
She emphasized the long-term and comprehensive work that involves engaging a broad range of stakeholders, including parliament, ministries, agencies, and other institutions, to develop the legislative package needed to implement EU Directive-compliant norms in Ukraine.
They also discussed the specifics of providing assistance in wartime. Qualified personnel are needed for all of this, and therefore GIZ is actively working with educational programs.
💰Julia Shevchuk, Chief Investment Adviser of NEFCO, presented the features and progress of the "Green Recovery" program for Ukraine.
Launched in July 2022, the program is based on the concept of grant funding. Initially, the goal was to raise 200 million euros, but as of now, 317 million euros have been collected. Ms. Shevchuk listed several areas where the funding is directed, including the restoration of critical municipal infrastructure, construction of housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs), integration of "green" approaches, and more.
Julia Shevchuk expressed great respect for communities demonstrating resilience, reliability, and the ability to adapt to new challenges under extremely difficult conditions.
She shared several implemented cases, outlined the challenges faced, and discussed effective ways to overcome them based on the experience gained.
The discussion also touched on the fund's future plans, priorities in selecting new participants for funding programs, and particularly focused on the opportunity to support communities with projects requiring financing. Currently, NEFCO is working on 50 municipal projects.
🤝Liana Khorovytska, Executive Director of CORE Response in Ukraine, discussed the specifics of the organization's work with supporting Ukrainians and ways to attract new global partners.
CORE Response actively supports affected Ukrainians, provides emergency assistance, and contributes to creating sustainable solutions for local communities.
“In all our activities, we aim not just to transfer funds — we work in close communication with the involved parties,” emphasized Ms. Khorovytska. This collaboration is not only support for communities but also a first step for businesses to explore opportunities for working in various regions.
By drawing on the unique experience of different countries, such as the Republic of Korea, better solutions are found to support communities and the affected population.
Ms. Khorovytska also explained how CORE Response attracts business investments, highlighting the importance of collaboration with the private sector to support humanitarian and recovery projects. She outlined the key challenges businesses face when investing in partnership with CORE Response and shared successful approaches to overcoming them.
At the end of the session, participants had the opportunity to ask questions, receive thorough answers, and engage in discussions.
👉 Discover more insights from other sessions of the Recovery Construction Forum 3.0 via the link:
📷You can view the photo report via the link:
Album 1
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.979415210871511&type=3
Album 2
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.979487197530979&type=3
WE WILL WIN AND REBUILD EVERYTHING! 💪
TOGETHER TO VICTORY!
GLORY TO UKRAINE! 💙💛