OREANDA-NEWS. To ensure economic development, create new jobs and promote self-employment we need cheap long-term loans in national currency, said Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk at a meeting with representatives of the banking sector on Tuesday, January 26.

The challenge for the Government, Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed, is first and foremost the creation of jobs, including promoting self-employment. Foreign investors still see risks to invest in Ukraine due to the military uncertainty in Donbas: "This means we should trigger internal mechanisms of economic development".

He noted that according to the macroeconomic forecasts for 2016 the global economy would face a lot of challenges: "The general economic situation requires non-standard solutions".

The Prime Minister appealed to the representatives of the banking sector to share their thoughts, "how to provide in 2016 an extensive programme of lending for business and for people, primarily regarding self-employment, new jobs and entrepreneurship".

According to the Head of Government, presently it isn’t mostly manufacturing which sees investment and mainly short-term loans for consumption are granted.

He stressed the need to introduce "a cheap long term loan facility in national currency".

Arseniy Yatsenyuk reminded that when he had taken office of Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine back in 2004, he had launched the long refinancing program: "The money went directly to industry, mechanical engineering – it was leveraged into development of the economy," he explained to the representatives of the banking sector.

"We need loan facilities to facilitate people to start up a business and promote self-employment in the country", stressed the Head of Government.