Oschadbank and NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy have approved the extension of the term of the loan agreement, the debt on which is UAH 1.97 billion to December 24, 2024, while the loan agreement was to expire on June 9, 2020, according to an explanatory note to the draft government resolution available at Interfax-Ukraine.
The Cabinet of Ministers, which had previously provided government guarantees for this loan, agreed on such a prolongation at a meeting held on Wednesday, MP Oleksiy Honcharenko said in his Telegram channel.
According to the Naftogaz report, as of September 30, 2019, about 98% of its cash and balances in bank accounts, the total amount of which amounted to UAH 24.96 billion, were placed in state-controlled banks. At the same time, these banks accounted for approximately 59% of Naftogaz’s loans with a total volume of UAH 60.79 billion the company has.
At the end of 2018, these indicators amounted to 96% of UAH 14.22 billion and 76% of UAH 56 billion, respectively.
The amount of provided government guarantees for Naftogaz’s obligations for January-September last year decreased from UAH 15.44 billion to UAH 2.91 billion.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has passed bill No. 2285-d on state regulation of activities of gambling establishments.
An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported that 260 parliamentarians voted in favor of the document at a plenary sitting on Thursday morning.
As reported, on December 19, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada decided to rework for its repeat first reading bill No. 2285-d on state regulations on organizing and conducting of gambling activity, which was registered in the parliament on December 18, 2019.
The lawmakers did not support the bill in the first reading, it scored a mere 213 votes with the required number being 226, while 243 parliamentarians supported the decision to send the bill for the repeat first reading.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine registered in the parliament bill No. 2285 and the parliamentarians also submitted seven alternative bills, including the updated version No. 2285-d by member of the Servant of the People faction Oleksandr Dubinsky.
It is proposed in the bill to limit the number of licenses issued for gambling houses and to introduce mandatory verification of gamblers while receiving bets and registration of wins in the online monitoring system.
The government’s bill proposes to determine gambling areas at five-star hotels for casinos and at three-star hotels for slot machines.
The law on the national budget for 2020 envisages a UAH 4.4 billion revenue from the licensing of gambling businesses. The money will be transferred to the special fund and excess revenues will be spent on subsidies for local budgets for education and public health programs.
As reported, Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov said that in pursuance of the government’s decision, law enforcement authorities should end the activities of gambling establishments by 16:00 on December 20, 2019.
The minister said that the issue will be regulated by a special law, which was being considered and would be adopted by parliament.
The volume of the house professional alarm systems market in Ukraine expanded by 10-15% in 2019, to almost $50 million, Sales Director at Ajax Systems in Ukraine Andriy Rusan has told Interfax-Ukraine. “According to our estimates, last year the market for security systems used for domestic purposes, for example, in private houses, apartments, offices, banks, grew by about 10-15%, to $50 million. This does not include large infrastructure projects, for example, airports,” Rusan said.
According to him, in the Ukrainian market, in addition to Ajax Systems, four more major players are now represented.
“There are four more large companies on the market that are known in the professional environment, but less known in domestic use. In addition, we differ by the fact that we are the only ones on the market that are offering wireless systems, the rest offers wired ones,” Rusan said.
As reported, in March 2019, Emerging Europe Growth Fund III (EEGF III) managed by Horizon Capital acquired a minority stake in Ajax Systems, a leading producer of smart security systems in Ukraine, for $10 million. In September 2019, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine considered the acquisition of a controlling stake in Cypriot Ajax Cyprus Holding Ltd. by Cypriot Dealbeta Investments Limited, created by Emerging Europe Growth Fund III (EEGF III), jointly with an individual-citizen of Ukraine.
Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Dmytro Dubilet has said government intends to publish monthly salaries of top officials.
“We will officially publish every month all the income that our top officials receive. This information is not a secret. This will be another step so that we become more transparent and honest with the community,” Dubilet said at a briefing on the results of a government meeting on Thursday in Kyiv.
According to him, this information will be published on the government website. It will include the salaries of ministers and their deputies.
On January, 18 and 19 in Ancient Kyiv in the Principality of Kyivan Rus («Kyivan Rus Park») a grandiose celebration of the Epiphany Holiday according to the traditions of our ancestors will take place. The traditional Ukrainian nativity scenes, the reconstructions of ancient rites, a bright show-program with horse performances, hot drinks and dishes prepared on open fire, horse riding and Slavic winter amusements will be waiting for the guests.
Ancient Kyiv opens at 10:00. The program starts at 13:30.
The ticket price: a full adult ticket – 190.00 UAH, for pensioners and students – 150.00 UAH; for schoolchildren – 80.00 UAH, for preschool children – for free.
Ancient Kyiv in the Principality of Kyivan Rus is not far from modern Kyiv – only in a 45-minutes’ drive – in the Kyiv region, Obukhiv district, vill. Kopachiv.
The Interfax subscribers can save money with the “openbusiness-20” promo code for a 20%-discount for the adult ticket (at full price) to the Principality of Kyivan Rus:
– by previous order by tel.: +38 044 461-99-37, +38 050 385-20-35
– or at the cash desk at the entrance to the «Kyivan Rus Park».
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested EUR1.1 billion in 51 projects in the public and private sectors of Ukraine in 2019, EBRD Senior Adviser for External Affairs Anton Usov has said.
“Last year, among the countries of EBRD operations, Ukraine ranked second in terms of investments and first in the number of signed projects. Some EUR680 million of the total investment in Ukraine in 2019 was assigned to the “green” category [projects with an environmental component], which is the highest figure among all EBRD countries,” he said on Facebook.
The EBRD is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. Since the beginning of its activity in the country in 1993, the bank has financed 445 projects for a total amount of almost EUR14.6 billion.
