In August, sectoral working groups held their first meetings with business representatives as part of the work on the Ukraine Facility Plan and the development of sectoral development strategies. The activities of the groups are coordinated by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine with analytical and consulting support from the Kyiv School of Economics and leading consulting companies.

The sectoral groups involve representatives of the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, and the State Service of Geology and Subsoil.

The groups are to provide proposals for sectoral reforms and suggest priority areas for investment. The groups will then focus on detailing their proposals.

At the first stage of the Ukraine Facility programme, 6 sectoral groups of the first priority were launched in the areas of Energy, Agriculture, Transport and Logistics, IT & Communications, Mechanical Engineering and Critical Materials.

During the kick-off meeting of the Agriculture group, the participants discussed land market liberalisation, the development of lending programmes, the prospects for the processing industry, and the promotion of investment in biogas production.

The IT & Communications group held discussions on attracting new investments in the industry, preserving and developing human capital, engaging veterans in work, and improving cooperation between educational institutions, the state, and IT companies to train qualified specialists.

The participants of the Energy group focused on stimulating the development of renewable energy, implementing energy efficiency measures and developing the electricity market in Ukraine. During the meeting with representatives of the oil and gas sector, they discussed the possibilities of developing subsoil using modern technologies, which will help to mitigate the negative impact of the Russian Federation on energy markets.

The meeting of the Logistics and Transport Infrastructure group discussed opportunities for developing export corridors, synchronising the national transport strategy with the European Union, product certification and licensing, and the way regulatory bodies operate.

The Mechanical Engineering group focused on the development of a network of industrial parks, tax policy, technology and capital attraction, and risk insurance. Participants are also interested in the development of vocational education and the building of R&D infrastructure in Ukraine.

The participants of the Critical Materials group discussed the specifics of the industry's development in the context of Ukraine's accession to the EU, European experience in the field of recycling, and the development of cross-sectoral links between related industries. They discussed the acquisition and renewal of licences, risk insurance, establishing clear criteria for the definition of critical materials in national legislation, and attracting technology to the industry.

Following the kick-off meeting, the sectoral groups will prepare and submit their proposals within the next 2 weeks. Once processed and systematised, the recommendations will be discussed with relevant associations and ministries and further considered in the course of the groups' work. Recommendations from business will be finalised with experts and representatives of ministries and sent to the relevant authorities. They will be taken into account when preparing the Ukraine Plan and long-term strategic plans for the development of economic sectors.

So far, we have already received proposals from participants in the Agriculture and Energy groups, which are being processed by the project team. We also continue to receive proposals for the development of other sectors. In the first half of September, the sectoral groups will meet again to consider the recommendations received.

In September, the second phase of sectoral groups will hold kick-off meetings in the areas of Pharmaceuticals, Construction, Woodworking, Creative Industries, Finance and Insurance.

The creation of sectoral working groups is one of the activities of the Good Governance Fund project "Economic Hub: Effective Public Finance Management Policy and Growth Vision", which is being implemented with the support of the UK Government (UK Aid). The project is implemented by Abt Britain and the Kyiv School of Economics.