Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of February 5
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
National bank of ukraine’s official rates as of 05/02/20
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
The export of vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts, fresh, frozen and dried brought Ukraine $339 million in revenue last year, which is 9.4% more than in 2018, and 20.1% more than in 2017. According to a Tuesday report on the website of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association, walnuts, berries and apples were the main product groups providing growth in the export of fruits and vegetables. The growth in revenue from apple exports over two years exceeded 150%, while exports of nuts and frozen berries grew by about 37% in two years.
At the same time, according to the association, the share of these three leading categories of the total export of fruits and vegetables continued to grow and reached 70% in 2019.
“The growth rate of export of fruits and vegetables from Ukraine remains high, but whether the country can keep them in 2020 is a big question, because there have been a number of negative trends, such as a strengthening of the national currency, a shortage of labor for harvesting products, a decrease in raspberry production, decrease in investments in new orchards and berry plants, and other things. At the same time, there is great hope that Ukraine will continue growing for some time thanks to the fruiting of orchards, nuts and berries laid over the past five years,” Economist at the investment department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Andriy Yarmak said.
According to the association, Ukraine is not even among the top 50 world leaders in terms of fruit and vegetable exports.
“For example, Lithuania, with a climate not favorable for fruits and vegetables, exports more fruits and vegetables than the entire Ukraine. Poland exports $2.6 billion worth fruits and vegetables – eight times more than Ukraine. Moreover, this includes re-export of Ukrainian berries, and other products of the fruit and vegetable group,” the association said.
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has passed at second reading bill No. 2241 with amendments to the Tax Code on the reduction of the amber production royalty from 25% to 10% from 2022, and by the end of 2020 the interim rate of 5% will be in effect and in 2021 – 8%. An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported that 290 MPs voted in favor of the corresponding bill with the required 226 votes.
“The committee at the meeting decided to take into account the proposals submitted by MPs regarding the reduction of the amber production royalty rate to 10% and temporarily set the royalty for the use of mineral resources for the production of amber until December 31, 2020 inclusively in the amount of 5%, until December 31, 2021 inclusive – at 8%. Thus, the 10% rate will be effective from January 1, 2022,” Deputy Head of the parliamentary committee on finance, customs and tax policy Oleksandr Kovalchuk said, presenting the document from the rostrum of the parliament.
An increase in the royalty from 5% to 25% in 2016 led to a decrease in budget revenues under this item, he said.
“Therefore, the proposed approach has a stimulating character for the legalization of amber production,” Kovalchuk said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed that $2.9 billion, which NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy received from Russia’s Gazprom as the execution of the award of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, are sent for the implementation of infrastructure projects and healthcare development.
“We plan to additionally provide funds for road construction. This is our infrastructure priority, other infrastructure projects, the medical sector and energy efficiency. Among the plans is to build more than 200 medical aid stations across Ukraine,” he said at a meeting with representatives of the Cabinet ministers and the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday, the press service of the head of state reported.
Zelensky invited the government to prepare the necessary draft documents within two weeks.
The first session of the Ukrainian-Czech Forum has opened in Prague, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko said.
“Together with [Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Tomas] Petricek opened the first session of the Ukrainian-Czech Forum. On agenda – cooperation in counteracting hybrid threats, Czech experience of reforms and European integration. We are much more united than it seems. Perfect platform for discussions and future projects,” the minister said on Twitter on Tuesday.
Before that Prystaiko met with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis to discuss the implementation of the agreements reached during his visit to Ukraine in November 2019.
“Discussed realization of agreements with [President of Ukraine Volodymyr] Zelensky arising from his visit to Ukraine last November and the “reboot” of our political dialogue. We share many areas of mutual interest on which we can cooperate constructively,” the minister said.
