KIEV, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine is counting on receiving 2.6 billion U.S. dollars in two tranches from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year, Ukraine's central bank governor Yakiv Smoliy said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Kiev, Smoliy said that the two portions of the aid of 1.3 billion dollars each would be allocated in May and in September respectively.

The funds will be directed to fill Ukraine's foreign exchange reserves, he said.

Last month, Ukraine has received the first tranche of some 1.4 billion dollars from IMF's 14-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) of 2.8 billion in Special Drawing Rights, which is equivalent to about 4 billion dollars.

The Ukrainian government said the SBA would be an instrument to ease Ukraine's debt burden, reduce inflation, intensify anti-corruption, tax, and energy reforms and keep Ukraine's sustainable growth during the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2019.