Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected a resignation offer by Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk over a leaked audiotape scandal.

“I decided to give you a chance,” Zelensky told the prime minister during a “clear the air” meeting, as reported by BBC. But he said this was dependant on Mr Honcharuk’s ability to tackle a number of pressing issues.

In the tape, a voice sounding like Honcharuk says that Zelensky only has a “primitive” grasp of economics. Honcharuk, a 35-year-old trained lawyer, also appears to admit that he himself is not good at economics.

On January 17, Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said he had tendered his resignation to President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to prevent any speculations about disrespect of government members for the chief of state, Kyiv Post reported.

“I took the office in order to implement the presidential program. I see him as a model of transparency and decency. However, in order to eliminate any doubts about our respect for and confidence in the president, I have tendered my resignation with the president, who can direct it to the parliament,” Honcharuk wrote on Facebook.