“The banks should be sold first,” Honcharuk said,

“The banks should be sold first,” Honcharuk said, referring to four state banks that account for 70% of Ukraine’s non-performing loans: Oschadbank, Ukreximbank, Ukrgasbank and PrivatBank. “I want 10 big systemic banks to enter Ukraine.” Finance Minister Oksana Markarova and the current central leadership are to be retained as the government moves toward a fiscal surplus and negotiates a 3-4 year IMF program, said Honcharuk, previously the head of an EU-funded think tank. To not lose momentum, a farmland market should be launched, with World Bank help, by the end of this year.