KIEV, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine will soon launch a coal sector reform aimed at improving the safety of coal mines and enhancing the energy security, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman announced on Thursday.
Under the reform, the government will allocate about 67 million U.S. dollars for the major overhaul at the operating mines, Groysman said.
Besides, it would set up a trading platform for coal producers and buyers to create a transparent coal market, he added.
The announcement came amid a crisis in the Ukrainian coal industry, which erupted last month after a group of activists blocked coal supplies from the non-government controlled areas in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, the country's mining heartland.
Worries over the crisis have deepened this week after some miners in Ukraine's western Lviv region warned that they would suspend coal shipping to the government if their working conditions are not improved.
Ukraine's mines are considered among the world's most dangerous due to high levels of methane gas, outdated equipment and lax safety regulations.
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