The State Agency of Ukraine on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving intends to submit for approval by the government a program to support energy efficiency for 2022-2026 with the volume of UAH 10 billion, acting chairman of the agency Kostiantyn Hura has said.
“Since the insulation credit program is coming to an end this year, we have developed the concept of a new target program for 2022-2026 to support energy efficient measures in the amount of UAH 10 billion, which would include not only “warm loans” for individuals, but also apply to industry, the budgetary sector, transport and individual projects for the development of bioenergy,” he said in a comment to the Energy Reform portal at the all-Ukrainian forum Ukraine 30. Ecology.
He said the mechanism of the proposed program for loans to legal entities will differ from the program of “warm loans,” which consists in compensation for their part.
“We are now considering the possibility of launching such a mechanism as lowering the loan rate, in this case – at the double refinancing rate of the NBU, which is currently 6.5%. That is, the bank’s standard rate minus 13% if an entrepreneur takes out a loan for energy efficiency. The banks’ expenses will be compensated from the budget,” he explained.
According to the expert, the agency has coordinated the program with all interested bodies and is now awaiting approval from the Ministry of Energy.
“After that, we will send it to the government. I hope for its support,” Hura said, adding that such a program to stimulate energy efficiency will provide an opportunity not only to modernize housing, budgetary sectors, enterprises, but also have a positive effect on the economy, creating projects, jobs, increasing budget revenues.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine extended until 2021 the state target program for energy efficiency and development of the sphere of energy production from renewable energy sources and alternative fuels, being in effect from 2010 to 2020.
President of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) Gianni Buquicchio called for accelerating the reform of the judiciary in Ukraine, and also noted that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) should be “safeguarded at any cost.”
“The judiciary reform must be comprehensive. The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe has been working on this reform in Ukraine for decades already, without real success,” Buquicchio said at the Democracy in Action: Zero Corruption Conference on Tuesday.
He stressed that the NABU must be safeguarded at any cost. “Because they have done a good job and they must continue to do their job,” the President of the Venice Commission said.
“Vetting the High Council of Justice and selecting new good members is a priority. The High Qualifications Commission is also a priority. But they two are interlinked, and I think it is much more important that the Council is vetted and reformed, in order to select good members of the High Qualifications Commission,” Buquicchio said.
According to him, the reform is also urgent, because Ukraine lacks 2,000 judges, and next year there will be another 1,700 judges who will retire by that time.
“This means that the judiciary will operate with half of its personnel. All these issues are urgent, and what I hope that the government and the parliament will do is to accelerate these reforms,” he said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed in detail the construction of the Nord Stream 2 project from Russia to Germany, Ukraine’s integration into NATO, the situation in Donbas and the implementation of reforms in Ukraine, adviser to the President’s Office head Mykhailo Podoliak has said.
“The conversation was very specific, substantive and covered key topics for our bilateral relations. The risks of the Nord Stream 2 construction for European security, the fastest and most effective Ukraine’s integration into NATO, the real situation in Donbas without any admixture of Russian propaganda, the obvious implementation of reforms in Ukraine and, in particular, the process of de-oligarchization,” Podoliak told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, “both the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine assess the existing risks for the European region security pretty much the same.”
Podoliak also said that “President Biden invited President Zelensky to visit Washington in July upon Biden’s return from a series of summits to be held in June.” “This is a G7 meeting, a NATO summit, a bilateral summit between the United States and Russia,” he said.
“After all these events, it will be quite logical to once again coordinate the policies of our states, and once again conduct and synchronize our partner positions,” the adviser to the President’s Office head said.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has eased quarantine restrictions, allowing, in particular, the holding of mass events (including in entertainment venues [nightclubs] and catering establishments) with the condition of one person per 4 square meters of the area of the building, territory or the fullness of the halls for more than two-thirds of the seats (placement is carried out in compliance with the filling of two rows by visitors and one empty row). This is enshrined in resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 583 of June 2, 2021.
In addition, restrictions do not apply provided that all participants and organizers of the event have a negative test result for COVID-19 by a PCR or rapid antigen test conducted no more than 72 hours before the event, or a document confirming the receipt of the full course of vaccination.
It is also allowed to receive visitors in cinemas and other cultural institutions with a capacity of no more than two-thirds of the seats.
In addition, the “green” level of epidemic danger will be established if the number of detected new cases of COVID-19 infection per 100,000 population in the last 14 days is less than 75, the detection rate of cases of COVID-19 infection by a PCR or rapid antigen testing is less than 4%, the number of tests by a PCR or express testing during the last seven days per 100,000 of the population is more than 300, and there are no regions with an established “red” level of epidemic danger throughout Ukraine.
14-16 July at Parkovy Congress and Exhibition Centre, Kyiv.
It is with great excitement we announce that Ukrainian Energy Forum returns to serve as the annual meeting place for international energy leaders on 14-16 July at Parkovy Congress and Exhibition Centre, Kyiv.
With this invitation via Interfax Ukraine you are entitled to a 15% discount.
Simply quote your VIP code: EUC017mINT.
Meet our first speakers joining the line-up for the Ukrainian Energy Forum:
• Andriy Gerus, Chairman of the Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities Services, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
• Janez Kopač, Director, The Energy Community
• Roman Opimakh, Chairman, State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources of Ukraine
• Maxim Timchenko, CEO, DTEK
• Victor Gladun, CEO, JKX Oil&Gas
• Oleg Nykonorov, CEO, Regional Gas Company
• Maris Kunickis, CEO, DTEK Renewables
• Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, Chairman of the Management Board, Ukrenergo
• Sergiy Makogon, General Manager, Gas TSO of Ukraine
• Dale Perry, Managing Partner, ERU
• Igor Schurov, General Director, DTEK Oil&Gas
• Ihor Syrota, CEO, Ukrhydroenergo
VIEW THE FULL LIST OF CONFIRMED SPEAKERS TO DATE>>
Next month the Forum will bring together around 80 speakers and 400 attendees, providing the leading platform for domestic and international decision-makers to have practical discussions about new opportunities for the business, industry and international community.
Among the new discussion topics this year:
• Energy security in the context of NS2 developments
• Developing LNG partnerships
• Domestic retail gas market functioning under the new annual contracts
• Regional Gas Hubs and GTSO of Ukraine’s strengths and opportunities
• Building a business case for hydrogen
• Tapping into the reserves on the Black Sea shelf and Yuzivska field
• PECs as a way to tackle depleted and mature fields in Western Ukraine
• Facilitating investment into upstream through the presidential Law on State Support for Investment Projects
Electricity Focus Day:
• Addressing historical feed-in-tariff debt in the power market and future financing of renewable energy projects
• Unlocking onshore and offshore wind potential
• Large-scale commercial energy storage projects
• Modernisation and privatization of distribution assets (DSOs)
We look forward to seeing familiar and new faces in July, offline or online!
If you have any enquiries or suggestions do not hesitate to contact Anna Kuzminskaya: +380 63 7673207 A.Kuzminskaya@adamsmithconferences.com
For detailed information and registration follow the link >>
Join the UEF Group on FACEBOOK and follow our updates.
open4business.com.ua – media partner
Kernel-Trade in May 2021 topped the list of the largest recipients of budget value added tax (VAT) refunds with an indicator of almost UAH 1.67 billion, while in the past month there was no information on refunds, according to the data on the website of the State Treasury.
According to the report, the top three also included two metallurgical enterprises: PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih with an indicator of almost UAH 1.05 billion compared to UAH 556.2 million in April, as well as Zaporizhstal with UAH 583.8 million against UAH 700.9 million, respectively.
Agricultural exporter Suntrade, leading in April, received UAH 519 million of budgetary VAT refunds in May, which is almost half the previous figure of UAH 950.8 million, according to the statistics of the agency.
The top five largest recipients of budget VAT refunds also included Mariupol-based Illich Metallurgical Plant, affiliated with Metinvest Group, which in a month slightly reduced the figure from UAH 500 million in April to UAH 465.6 million in May.
The top ten largest recipients of budget VAT refunds in May also included ADM Ukraine with UAH 403.2 million (there was no information on refunds in April), Nibulon with UAH 314.5 million (UAH 298.4 million), AT Cargill with UAH 253.8 million (almost UAH 159 million).
They are followed by Dniprovsky Metallurgical Plant with UAH 251 million (UAH 251.2 million) and Poltava Mining and Processing Plant (GOK) with UAH 239.2 million (UAH 212.8 million), which have practically not changed their indicators for the month.
