Business awaits law enforcement reforms, but the latest version of the law on the Economic Security Bureau and the bill on the reform of the Security Service (SBU) adopted at first reading raise doubts about the quality of such reforms, the European Business Association (EBA) said in a release.
“It is worth noting that currently, the problem of cooperation with law enforcement agencies concerns not only SMEs and regional entrepreneurs but also large international companies and strategic investors,” the release says.
“The reform issue is especially relevant now in the context of the establishment of the Bureau of Economic Security. Although the community has not yet seen the final version of the document, the business was wary of the penultimate version of the draft law. Thus, there are fears that instead of a radically new analytical body that would help protect the interests of business, a new structure may be created with a new name, but with the same methods of work and even the same people,” the EBA says.
“At the same time, the SBU reform was launched, so to speak, by the adoption of the draft law No. 3196-d at first reading. Thus, the draft law was supposed to eliminate anti-corruption and economic units in the SBU, partially demilitarize the service, etc. However, there are fears that the liquidated SBU departments will be reincarnated as other functional units that will provide counterintelligence support in the economic context. In other words, it is likely to put continued pressure on the business. And, in general, this document invokes a lot of questions concerning the renewed functions and powers of the service,” it noted.
“Therefore, the European Business Association appeals to Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, and Arsen Avakov, Minister of Internal Affairs, to pay due attention to reforming the law enforcement system in 2021. It is unacceptable and unreasonable to persecute the business. Otherwise, the issue of attracting investment, business development, and economic development, in general, may become a big question. We hope that the time for fundamental reforms has come and we will finally move from talks to the action!” the document says.
The European Parliament reaffirmed its continued support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, continuing to condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and the de facto occupation of certain regions in the east by Russia.
This is discussed in the section “Cooperation in the field of the common foreign and security policy (CFSP)” of the resolution on Ukraine’s implementation of the Association Agreement, voted by the European Parliament during the plenary session. The spokesperson was deputy from the European People’s Party Michael Gahler (Germany).
“The European Parliament Reiterates the Union’s unwavering support for and commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and its support for the internationally coordinated sanctioning of the Russian Government and agents who are undermining the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to the resolution.
In addition, the European Parliament ontinues to condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol and the de facto occupation of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk and calls on the Russian Federation to fulfil its international obligations, to withdraw its military forces from the territory of Ukraine.
The European Parliament also welcomes the resumption of the peace talks under the Normandy four format on 9 December 2019 in Paris after a deadlock of three years.
The European Parliament strongly condemns Russia’s destabilising actions and military involvement in Ukraine; expresses concern about Russia’s ongoing build-up of military facilities and installations in the Crimean Peninsula. In addition, the European Parliament condemned Russia’s illegal actions aimed at seizing control of the Kerch Strait, as they constitute a breach of international maritime law and Russia’s international commitments, in particular the construction of the Kerch Bridge and its rail link without Ukraine’s consent, the laying of underwater cables and the closing up and militarisation of the Azov Sea, which severely hinders Ukraine’s economic activities. The European Parliament called on the Russian Federation to ensure unhindered and free passage to and from the Azov Sea in line with international law, and access to the occupied Ukrainian territories of Donbas and annexed Crimea for international non-governmental organizations and international humanitarian organisations and to release of all Ukrainian political prisoners and prisoners of war in Russia, Crimea and the parts of Donbas not controlled by the Ukrainian Government.
The European Parliament also considers it possible for the Commission and the European External Action Service to intensify their efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
In addition, the European Parliament called on the EU High Representative, the Commission and the member states to provide the necessary support for the creation of the Crimean International Platform, which will coordinate, formalize and systematize efforts aimed at restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Kazakhstan is increasing the number of regular flights with Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and the Maldives.
The relevant decision was made by the interdepartmental commission to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the civil aviation committee of the Kazakh Industry and Infrastructure Development Ministry said on Wednesday.
Thus, in accordance with the interdepartmental commission’s decision, the number of flights to Russia will increase by seven in general, from three to 10 flights per week on each side. This includes the number of Nur-Sultan-Moscow flights increasing from two to four per week on each side and Almaty-Moscow flights increasing from one to four per week on each side. Shymkent-Moscow flights, one per week on each side, and Aktau-Moscow, one per week on each side, are resumed.
The number of flights to the Maldives is up from four to seven per week for Kazakh companies on the Almaty-Male route.
The number of Almaty-Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) flights is increasing from two to three per week.
Along with this, the number of flights to Uzbekistan is increasing from three to four (on each side) due to one more Nur-Sultan-Tashkent flight per week. Since September 11, one flight has been performed on the Nur-Sultan-Tashkent route and two on the Almaty-Tashkent route.
The number of flights to Ukraine is increasing to two, due to the resumption of one flight per week on the Nur-Sultan-Kyiv route. In August 2020, flights on the Almaty-Kyiv route were resumed.
Mobile network operator Kyivstar handed over 55 Biomed JAY-10 oxygen concentrators to 12 hospitals in Kyiv city, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Khmelnytsky regions, the operator said on Thursday. “Big business is helping society to overcome the coronavirus pandemic. I am glad that we continue providing the necessary equipment to combat the pandemic,” the press service said, citing President of Kyivstar Alexander Komarov as saying.
He also recalled that in 2020, Kyivstar donated 10 Savina 300 Select ventilation and respiratory monitoring devices with consumables for them, 20 Vista 120 patient monitors and 6,851 reusable protective suits for medical workers from 30 referral hospitals.
The project is being implemented in partnership with the Tvoya Opora Charitable Foundation, which monitored medical institutions that receive patients with coronavirus.
According to the report, the charitable organizations with which Kyivstar cooperates have undergone thorough international checks by the VEON parent group regarding the ethics of their business.
As reported, during the quarantine, Kyivstar provided assistance with bonuses to the accounts of almost 70,000 doctors, and for three summer months they were given access to unlimited Internet. The total amount of support provided by the operator totaled approximately UAH 80 million.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine has allowed Viktor Bazilchuk, who is listed as director of Agrolife GmbH on the website of the German supplier of animal feed and additives Agrolife GmbH, to buy more than 50% in Agrolife’s partner company Svit-Agro (Kyiv), which supplies feed additives and veterinary medicine.
The relevant permit was issued on January 28. The acquisition is planned indirectly through Austinola Limited (Cyprus).
According to the public register, the largest owner of Svit-Agro Trading House with 75.1% is Oleksandr Tymoshenko, who in late 2019 – early 2020 applied for the position of head of the State Fisheries Agency of Ukraine and had the highest score in the evaluation of candidates.
In addition, the company’s beneficiaries include Oleksandr Schnir’s Bridgewater Holdings Corp with 16.6% and Alarico Ltd (Belize) with 8.3%.
In his declaration, Tymoshenko indicated 25% in meat processing complex Stolychny LLC where 75%, according to the public register, belong to Bazilchuk. According to the data on the website, Stolychny has been exporting chicken since 2017, annually exporting about 2,600 tonnes of poultry meat.
According to the committee, the buyer’s group is engaged in the production and wholesale of animal feed, wholesale of grain, meal, cake, eggs, meat and meat products, pharmaceuticals and veterinary drugs, as well as provides processing and storage of grain, rents real estate.
Agrolife GmbH, according to the information on its website, is a supplier of oilseeds, cereals and feed additives for livestock in the markets of Germany, the EU and Ukraine. Agrolife GmbH together with the Danish Fermentationexperts AS are the founders of European Protein Ukraine LLC (Kyiv region).
In July 2018, the committee allowed Agrolife GmbH to acquire the Cypriot Cotone Investments Limited, which owns 100% of the shares of the feed manufacturer PJSC Kyiv-Atlantic Ukraine (Myronivka, Kyiv region). In the public register, the beneficiaries of Kyiv-Atlantic Ukraine through Agrolife GmbH are Natalia Bazilchuk with 56.33% and Borys Skyba with 18.78%.
Ukraine in January 2021 reduced electricity exports by 92.6% (by 645.3 million kWh) compared to the same period in 2020, to 51.9 million kWh, according to the data of NPC Ukrenergo. According to the calculations of Interfax-Ukraine, in particular, supplies from the Burshtyn TPP energy island in the direction of Hungary, Slovakia and Romania fell by 89.7% (by 448.9 million kWh), to 51.9 million kWh.
Electricity was not supplied to Poland and Moldova last month, while in January last year, 151.2 million kWh and 45.2 million kWh were exported in these directions, respectively.
Ukrainian electricity also was not exported to Belarus and the Russian Federation in January 2021 and 2020.
In addition, in January 2021, Ukraine reduced electricity imports by 52.4% (by 292.4 million kWh) compared to the same period last year, to 268.3 million kWh, including Belarus supplied 180.6 million kWh, Slovakia – 78.3 million kWh, Hungary – 6.9 million kWh, and Romania – 2.5 million kWh.
In addition, as Inter-Transmission Compensation mechanism associated with the parallel operation of the IPS of Ukraine with the power systems of neighboring countries and power supply to dead-end areas, 6.26 million kWh of electricity was imported from the Russian Federation last month and 0.01 million kWh from Belarus.
Emergency supplies from Belarus amounted to 3.13 million kWh, and 0.08 million kWh to Belarus.
