Head of the State Property Fund (SPF) Dmytro Sennychenko has announced the Fund’s readiness to begin the process of privatization of objects of the State Enterprise Ukrspyrt, the department has already received 12 proposals for privatization.
According to the Fund’s press release posted on Tuesday, the privatization of the alcohol industry at the first stage provides for the placement of Ukrspyrt facilities for transparent auctions. The total number of objects ready for the privatization process is 41.
The Chairman of the State Property Fund also drew attention to the fact that the key condition for the successful privatization of assets in the alcohol industry is the prompt approval by the government of the Program for the Reform and Development of the Alcohol Industry, which will provide for the procedure and conditions for the sale.
“Potential investors in the alcohol production industry are not only food alcohol producers, but also pharmaceutical companies, automotive fuel producers and agricultural companies that are interested in processing their own products,” the SPF’s press service quoted Sennychenko as saying.
According to him, until recently Ukraine, together with Belarus, were the only countries in the world with a state monopoly on alcohol production.
“This has led to the fact that over the past decade, the production of legal potable alcohol in Ukraine has decreased four times, and the share of its shadow turnover has increased from 10% of total consumption in 2007 to 55% in 2019,” said the head of the SPF.
The arrival of 5,000 to 10,000 Hasidim in the city of Uman, Cherkasy region to celebrate the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah is expected in 2020, and this causes great concern both within Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Oleh Nemchinov said.
“Today, a meeting of the State Commission on Manmade Disaster and Emergency Response was held. One of the key issues that were discussed was the planned mass pilgrimage of Breslov Chasidim in September 2020 to the city of Uman, Cherkasy region to celebrate Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year),” Nemchinov wrote on his Facebook page.
In this regard, the commission instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen communication to inform foreign citizens about the restrictions in force in Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs to strengthen and ensure security during the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the State Border Guard Service to develop a booklet of stay in Ukraine and distribute it at the crossing Ukrainian border, as well as inform about a possible ban on entry to Ukraine for several years in case of violation of lockdown.
“In addition, at the meeting of the commission, it was noted that in 2020, Ukrainian Christians and Muslims abstained from mass events during the celebration of their largest religious holidays,” Nemchinov said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed Verkhovna Rada’s bill No. 2285-d on state regulation on organizing and conducting the gambling activity.
The Ukrainian parliament said on its website that the bill was returned with the signature of the head of state on August 11.
National bank of Ukraine’s official rates as of 11/08/20
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
Raiffeisen Bank Aval (Kyiv) plans to send UAH 4.274 billion (90% of profit) to pay dividends to holders of ordinary shares based on the results of the financial institution’s work in 2019, while in the past year it accrued UAH 3.561 billion, and a year earlier UAH 4.244 billion.
According to the bank’s report in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, the relevant issue was included in the agenda of a general remote meeting of shareholders scheduled for September 11.
It is indicated that out of UAH 4.749 billion of net profit for 2019, the bank plans to send UAH 700,000 (0.01%) to pay dividends to holders of preferred shares and UAH 474.1 million (9.98%) to the reserve fund.
Dividends, if approved, will amount to 6.95 kopecks per share, while at present they are quoted on the Ukrainian Exchange at the following rate: purchase at 35.36 kopecks, sale at 35.5 kopecks.
According to the agenda, the shareholders will also consider the appointment of Lukasz Januszewski as head of the supervisory board of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), responsible for investment banking and trade, instead of Martin Grull, and Thomas Matejka as a member of the supervisory board instead of Harald Kroeger.