In a government meeting Wednesday, the Ukrainian  prime minister said fully vaccinated Ukrainians will be rewarded with a 1000 hryvnas payment that will go to their ‘virtual payment cards through ‘Diya’ app’.

Denys Shmygal said the incentive will help ‘support small and medium-sized business in Ukraine’.

The nudge  that is set to step up vaccine uptake among Ukrainians was unveiled by the Ukrainian president on Monday. In his video address, Volodymyr Zelensky said the money can be  spent on sports, recreational activities and public transport expanses, which is overall set to benefit businesses in the sectors of the economy that have been hardest-hit by the pandemic.

According to the government projections, some  six  thousand Ukrainian businesses will be able to benefit from the year-long policy that is starting on December 19.

‘Three  billion hryvnas will be allocated for the program  this year and three more billion will come at the start of the next year’, said the prime minister, adding that the financial incentive will be tax-free and will come separately from state-funded benefits and discount schemes.

The country is grappling with the worst pandemic wave with daily numbers now reegularly exceeding 20,000 infections and 700 deaths.