In June 2020, NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy will reduce the price of natural gas sold to industrial consumers on an advance payment basis by 20.7% (UAH 849.60) compared to the current month’s price, to UAH 3,256 per 1,000 cubic meters (including VAT).
According to a report on the company’s website, the indicated price is relevant for consumers purchasing gas on an advance payment in the amount of more than 50,000 cubic meters per month, provided that there are no debts to the company and for 100% subsidiaries of Naftogaz Ukrainy.
For other buyers, the price next month will decrease by 19% (by UAH 896.40), to UAH 3,818 per 1,000 cubic meters (including VAT).
Hungary’s low-cost airline Wizz Air has prolonged the suspension of its operations to and from Ukraine until June 15 inclusively, as a result of the extension of travel restrictions imposed by the Ukrainian government. The airline said last week that for passengers with bookings affected by flight suspensions 120% of the original fare will automatically be uploaded to the customer’s WIZZ account, with the amount to be used in the next 24 months for the purchase of Wizz Air products and services.
In addition, passengers can also opt for a cash refund – which will take longer to complete – and will be informed about the necessary steps for a bank transfer or transfer to a bank card in a separate e-mail. In this case, customers will be eligible for only 100% of the original fare.
Passengers who made their bookings via travel agencies – including online travel agencies – should get in touch with the company from which they purchased their tickets.
The metro reopened in Kyiv and Kharkiv on May 25 after the two-month pause caused by coronavirus. In Kyiv, the metro service is back to the regular schedule. Passengers are required to wear masks, and there are signs indicating the obligatory 1.5-meter distance between passengers.
Metro workers are provided with personal protective equipment.
The Kharkiv metro reopened at 5:30 a.m. on Monday.
“Please be advised that it is prohibited to travel by the metro without a respirator or a mask,” the Kharkiv metro press service said on Facebook.
The metro service in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro (former Dnipropetrovsk) had been unavailable since March 17 in order to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
The relaxation of the rules of connecting to power grids would allow Ukraine to climb in the Doing Business rating from 64th position to the top 30, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.
“In 2012, we started from one hundred and fiftieths positions, then we gradually moved to 71st, and today we are in the 64th position in the world among almost 190 countries. Our goal is the top 30,” he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
As the prime minister said, this is not about status, but about specific indicators that are important for investors.
“Today, they say that Ukraine is very good for investment, but just a few parameters bother them. The key parameter is the connection to the power grid. We are between 120 and 130 places in terms of connection to the power grid. If we improve this indicator, then automatically, without other efforts, we enter the top 30 of the overall rating,” Shmyhal said.
He said that this would mean that regional competition with neighboring countries of Poland, Hungary, and Romania is won.
Electricity consumption in Ukraine, taking into account in-process losses in power grids, decreased by 5.8% (by 3.121 billion kWh) in January-April 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, to 50.810 billion kWh, the Ministry of Energy and Environment Protection has told Interfax-Ukraine.
Excluding in-process losses, electricity consumption over the first four months decreased by 5% (by 2.166 billion kWh), to 40.769 billion kWh.
The country’s industry, excluding technological losses, reduced electricity consumption by 6.6%, to 16.288 billion kWh. In particular, metallurgical industry consumed 8.938 billion kWh (9.7% less compared to January-April 2019), fuel industry some 1.099 billion kWh (7.2% less), machine building industry some 1.172 billion kWh (17.7% less), chemical and petrochemical some 1.307 billion (17.1% more), food and processing some 1.408 billion kWh (3.6% less), construction some 670.5 million kWh (2.1% less), others some 1.694 billion kWh (1.1% more).
In addition, agricultural enterprises consumed 1.120 billion kWh (2.6% less), transport some 2.145 billion kWh (9.8% less), developers some 354.6 million kWh (8.3% less).
In January-April 2020 the country’s population consumed 13.108 billion kWh (0.9% less), households some 5.101 billion kWh (8.8% less) and other non-industrial consumers some 2.653 billion kWh (3.9% less).
The share of industry in total electricity consumption over the first four months fell from 40.6% to 40%, while the share of the population grew to 32.2% from 30.8%.
In April 2020, electricity consumption, taking into account in-process losses, decreased by 7% (by 835.6 million kWh) compared to the same month of 2019, to 11.086 billion kWh, excluding in-process losses it fell by 7.8% (763.1 million kWh), to 9.28 billion kWh.
