First Ukrainian Apples Producers aggregation platform (USPA FRUIT) jointly with USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine start a joint initiative entitled “the Fruits Expansion to the Countries of the Middle East and Africa,” under which Ukrainian fresh fruit producers will receive help to enter new markets. According to a press release of the USPA FRUIT platform, under the initiative trade and economic missions for companies-members of the platform to the Middle East and Africa will be organized. Ukrainian producers will also have access to market analytics, which in the future will help them conclude deals for the supply of fresh fruits (apples, cherries, blueberries), increase export sales and create new jobs.
“Establishing stable supplies will be preceded by a detailed study of the Middle East and Africa markets, which will help USPA FRUIT identify priority exports, develop and implement pricing and marketing policies for each country in the region, which in turn will create competitive entry and consolidation in these markets. Within the project, USPA FRUIT aggregation platform organizes trade and economic missions to Egypt, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, what will help to establish program supplies of fresh fruits from Ukraine,” USPA FRUIT said.
Fresh fruits from the USPA FRUIT aggregation platform have been presented in the UAE market for three years already, but there are still many opportunities for development within the markets of the Middle East and Africa.
As part of the relaxation of quarantine measures, gyms and swimming pools will open in Ukraine on June 1, except for three regions that, according to the current epidemic situation, do not meet the criteria for further mitigation of quarantine.
The corresponding decree was issued by chief state sanitary doctor, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko.
According to the decree approving temporary recommendations on the organization of anti-epidemic measures in institutions of physical education and sports, all employees and visitors will undergo temperature screening, antiseptics should be installed at the entrance to the premises and in the hall.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has received credentials from Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Ukraine Toila Ataev, and expressed belief that both sides would take effective steps to further develop Ukrainian-Turkmen mutually beneficial cooperation.
“The two noted the interest of Ukraine and Turkmenistan in the intensification of political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries. Special attention was paid to strengthening cooperation in the construction industry,” the presidential press service said on Friday.
Zelensky expressed hope that the distribution of COVID-19 would not interfere with plans to intensify bilateral dialogue, and conveyed an invitation to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow to visit Ukraine.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal notes that Ukraine expects the IMF Executive Board to approve the first tranche of the agreed Stand-By Arrangement for the next 18 months on June 5.
“We have completed negotiations with the IMF, the president also had a telephone conversation with the IMF leader, and on June 5 we expect the signing of the agreement and the receipt of the first tranche. The program is for 18 months, a loan for 5 years, the amount is $5 billion. And this is a Stand-By Arrangement with rather simplified conditions, which will enable us to move calmly in overcoming the consequences of the coronavirus crisis that already exist,” he said on the air of the Savik Shuster Freedom of Speech program on Ukraine TV Channel.
Shmyhal pointed out that the first tranche from the IMF will be $1.9 billion, which Ukraine expects on June 5-6, another $1.6 billion will be in autumn, and $1.5 billion next year.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has declared his property, income, expenses and financial liabilities for 2019. “According to the declaration, the income of the head of state and his family in 2019 amounted to UAH 28.602 million. Zelensky’s family paid taxes in the amount of UAH 3.6 million to the budget,” the presidential press service said.
Since May 2019, Zelensky has not been engaged in entrepreneurial activities and receives salaries exclusively in the state administration. His salary from May to December 2019 amounted to UAH 208,787.
“In the reporting period, an increase in his spouse’s salary and a decrease in the salary and business income from the entrepreneurial activities of Volodymyr Zelensky were recorded,” the report said.
In particular, in 2019, the president’s family received funds in repayment of government domestic loan bonds for a total of UAH 5.1 million and incurred expenses for the acquisition of government bonds in the amount of UAH 5.2 million.
Zelensky declared UAH 4.423 million, which were received from the sale of real estate in Kyiv in Velyka Vasylkivska Street, owned by his wife.
Also, the Zelensky family received UAH 3.2 million for renting an apartment in the UK.
In 2019, the wife of the president, Olena Zelenska, received a loan from the first assistant to the head of state, Serhiy Shefir, in the amount of UAH 5 million. The loan was repaid by the end of the reporting year.
Zelensky in 2019 spent UAH 11.5 million as a contribution to the election fund of the candidate for the president of Ukraine.
The State Automobile Roads Agency of Ukraine (Ukravtodor) has said that only 2% of inspected bridges are in a good condition, Ukravtodor Head Oleksandr Kubrakov said during the presentation of a concept of the government target economic program to restore bridges on automobile roads of general use and local roads for 2020-2025 held in Kyiv on Friday.
“A total of 35% out of 16,200 bridges and structures were examined. That is, we do not even have information about what condition they are in. We can say that only 2% of the bridges are in good condition,” he said.
Kubrakov said that most bridges were built in 1960-1970s (a total of about 8,700 structures).
In total, according to him, there are 16,155 man-made structures in Ukraine that fall under the terminology “bridges” in the corresponding government target program. Of these, only 35% were examined, namely, 5,631 structures.
Of the inspected bridges, 71% are state-owned and 15% are local. At the same time, only 36% correspond to modern standards in terms of weight and size.
According to Ukravtodor, 2% of the inspected bridges are serviceable, 10.6% are limitedly serviceable, 57.8% are functioning, 26.9% are limited to be used, and 2.7% are non-functioning.
