Last week, the inaugural meeting of the sectoral working group on logistics and transport infrastructure, convened as part of the work on the Ukraine Plan for the implementation of the Ukraine Facility program. The Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine oversees the groups’ efforts, while Kyiv School of Economics provides analytical consulting support, and the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine coordinates the sectoral groups.

Creation of the sectoral working groups is one of the activities of the Good Governance Fund Project “Economic Hub: Sound PFM Policies and Vision for Growth,” which is supported by UK Aid from the UK Government. The project delivery partners are Abt Britain and Kyiv School of Economics.

Attendees included representatives from the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, Kyiv School of Economics, and EY Ukraine, who moderated the discussion.

Oleksii Sobolev, Deputy Minister of Economy for Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalization, aptly captured the essence of the Ukraine Facility program’s mandate: “Our challenge under the Ukraine Facility program is of utmost significance—rebuilding and advancing our infrastructure. This encompasses prioritizing the development of a robust transport system intricately linked to the EU network, augmenting its capacity, and introducing standardized European regulations for industry oversight. We eagerly anticipate constructive contributions from both the business community and experts.”

The ensuing discussion, where governmental and corporate voices converged, gravitated around the operational modalities of the sectoral group. Conversations spanned realms such as bolstering investments in the sector, nurturing technological advancement, realigning core transport streams in favour of export-oriented industries, accreditation of products, corporate licensing, and the collaborative gestation of infrastructure projects.

The discussions among industry representatives also spanned alternative transportation corridors, establishing an environmentally sustainable public transport network, and demarcating regulatory jurisdiction during the implementation of European legislation.

“We are actively engaged in the process of updating Ukraine’s National Transport Strategy until 2030. Originally adopted even before the full-scale conflict, the urgency lies in revising it now, factoring in the repercussions of Russia’s armed aggression. A comprehensive consideration of the challenges posed by the ongoing war and the subsequent rejuvenation of Ukraine is paramount. The refinement of the national transport strategy will also encompass the integration of barrier-free norms and synchronization with the EU’s transportation framework,” stated Dmytro Turchak, Director of the Department for Strategic Planning and Regional Policy at the Ministry for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine.

The first stage of sectoral working group collaboration with businesses will continue until October 2023. During this period, proposals for the Ukraine Plan, essential for the implementation of the Ukraine Facility financial assistance program, will be formulated. The program will provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros from the European Commission during 2024-2027.