The Office of the National Investment Council under the President of Ukraine proposes to create the State Fund of Funds and the National Investment Fund (NIF) with shares of large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) for holding an IPO, Head of the Office Olha Mahaletska has said.
“Among the initiatives that are proposed to be considered for the National Economic Strategy of Ukraine is the creation of a National Investment Fund for the transformation of state-owned enterprises, the stakes in which will be under its management, into effective and profitable companies, as well as the State Fund of Funds. It will activate the development of the investment fund industry,” she said, presenting the Office’s proposals to the National Strategy until 2030.
The expected effect of the launch of the State Fund of Funds exceeds 1% of GDP, Mahaletska added.
According to her, the State Fund of Funds invests in other funds instead of directly investing in stocks and bonds of companies. The mechanism of operation is the financing of investment funds that have already received investments from a limited list of first-class foreign investors, such as the EBRD and IFC.
The seed capital of the State Fund of Funds will be the national budget of Ukraine (10-20%) and international financial institutions (IFIs, 80-90%).
Earlier, the government of the country considered the possibility of creating a “fund of funds” to support Ukrainian startups on the basis of public-private partnerships. However, instead, in 2019, the Ministry of Finance launched the Ukrainian Startup Fund.
As for the NIF, it is proposed at the first stage to transfer shares of 10-15 large state-owned enterprises to its management, and in the future this number can be increased, Mahaletska said.
According to her, the main task of such an investment fund is to increase the efficiency of state-owned enterprises through the corporatization. In particular, the NIF will be able to appoint its representatives to the company’s supervisory boards.
“The task of the highest level is to prepare the enterprise for an initial public offering of its shares on a stock exchange,” Mahaletska said.
Earlier, Head of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission Tymur Khromaev proposed to create a National Investment Fund, which will include minority stakes in about 20-30 strategic enterprises. The IPO of this fund will increase the investment attractiveness of Ukraine and provide the prerequisites for a successful IPO for these enterprises.
In recent years, the idea of creating a National Welfare Fund has been promoted by the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, citing as an example the successful experience of such a fund in Romania and a number of other countries. However, these proposals were met with no response until recently.
Ovostar Union, one of the leading producers of eggs and egg products in Ukraine, in 2020 reduced sales of eggs by 4% compared to 2019, to 1.104 billion pieces.
According to the group’s report on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, the volume of exports fell more significantly, by 33.5%, to 349 million units, as a result of which the share of exports fell from 46% to 32%.
The average price of eggs in hryvnias increased by 2%, to UAH 1.634 per egg, while in dollar terms decreased by 2%, to $ 0.061.
The company reported that egg production last year increased by 5%, to 1.672 billion pieces, while egg processing decreased by 4%, to 552 million pieces.
Production of liquid egg products decreased by 3%, to 13,504 tonnes, while dry egg products increased by 6%, to 3,161 tonnes.
The volume of sales of dry egg products increased by 17%, to 3,270 tonnes, in particular exports rose by 9.9%, to 2,268 tonnes, but its share decreased from 74% to 69%.
The volume of sales of liquid egg products decreased by 3%, to 13,281 tonnes, in particular exports by 28.7%, to 4,647 tonnes, and its share from 47% to 35%.
The average price of dry egg products increased by 3% in hryvnia terms, to UAH 110.84/kg and fell by 1% in dollar terms, to $ 4.11 per kg.
The average price of liquid egg products decreased by 11% in hryvnia terms, to UAH 32.93 per kg, in dollar terms by 15%, to $ 1.22 per kg.
Structure of import of services for 9 months of 2020 (graphically).
Ukraine’s economy after falling by 5.1% in 2020 will grow by 4% this year, with a slight increase in inflation (December from December) from 5% to 5.8% -6%, Citi analysts stated in the forecast of the global economy.
In their opinion, consumer spending will become the key growth driver against the backdrop of a planned 30% increase in the minimum wage from UAH 5,000 to UAH 6,500.
The experts expect the economy to recover to pre-crisis levels in the first quarter of 2022, generally assessing growth prospects in 2022 at 3% with inflation falling to 5.3%.
The bank forecasts that the National Bank will increase the refinancing rate by 50 b.p. in the second quarter of 2021, to 6.5% in order to balance price pressure caused by the rise in inflation. In particular, Citi expects the consumer price index to rise to 5.8% by the end of 2021.
According to the survey, the analysts predict the weakening of the hryvnia exchange rate by the end of this year to UAH 29.47/$1 with an average annual value of UAH 28.92/$1, and in the next year to UAH 30.67/$1 and 30.12 UAH/$1, respectively.
The analysts noted the institutional regression that occurred in 2020, but they are inclined to believe that the need to finance a large budget deficit will be an incentive for Ukrainian authorities to continue cooperation with the IMF. In their opinion, ensuring the independence of the National Bank and finding a way out of the situation that arose after the Constitutional Court had recognized a number of anti-corruption norms as unconstitutional will be of decisive importance.
Insurance Company MetLife (Kyiv) in 2020 made insurance payments in the amount of more than UAH 211.9 million, which is 27% more than a year earlier, according to a press release from the insurer.
At the same time, it is noted that the bulk of payments fell on situations related to the insurance protection of health of the company’s clients.
The company reports that in 2020, some 29 large payments were made, including 22 payments each in the amount of more than UAH 500,000, six payments in the amount of more than UAH 1 million and one payment in the amount of more than UAH 2 million. The number of insured events for which payments were made also increased by 14%.
In addition, during 2020, some 21,095 payments were made to the insured under life and health protection programs. Among the main reasons for payments in 2020, there were surgical interventions (6,028) and injuries (5,214) – they account for 53% of all appeals.
The company also reports that since the beginning of MetLife’s operations in Ukraine (2003-2020), the total payments to the company’s clients have exceeded UAH 857.845 million.
According to the industry rating Insurance TOP, during 2019-2020 MetLife is the constant leader in terms of the volume of insurance payments of all life insurance companies in Ukraine.
PrJSC MetLife was registered in 2002, it is a member of the international group of companies MetLife, Inc.
Ukraine and Vietnam will resume work on a free trade area agreement (FTA), Deputy Minister of Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture, Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka has said.
“We have agreed to resume work on the FTA agreement with Vietnam. Under the best case scenario, this year we will enter a formal negotiation process,” he wrote on Facebook on Monday following the first meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission with Vietnam in 2021.
He also said that Ukraine and Vietnam are completing the conclusion of interdepartmental agreements on veterinary medicine and plant quarantine.
“These contracts are at the final stage,” Kachka said.
He said that by the end of 2020, the trade turnover between Ukraine and Vietnam grew by 22.5%, to $644.65 million, and Ukraine’s export to this country over the past year rose by 92%, to $184.5 million.
“A large share of imports from Vietnam are electronics and mechanical equipment… The lion’s share of Ukrainian exports to Vietnam are grains,” the trade representative said.
Kachka also said that business surveys show the interest of business in the FTA with this country. As for Vietnam itself, it is interested in industrial and scientific cooperation: from technologies in leather processing, fertilizer production and titanium mining to cooperation in the field of space and aviation. In addition, this is about industrial cooperation and projects for the supply of railway equipment, trucks, compressor equipment, aircraft and aircraft equipment, he said.
