Half of Ukrainian citizens approve of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s performance, the Sociological Group Rating said.
In presenting the findings of a public opinion poll of 2,000 respondents aged 18 and older which it conducted on June 8 to June 12, the Sociological Group Rating said it found that 49% of those polled are contented with the president’s performance, 14% are of the opposite view, and 38% have not yet formed an opinion.
The number of those having an optimistic outlook on the situation in the country has also grown, it said.
The poll found that 35% of the respondents believe Ukraine is moving in the right direction, 36% are of the opposite view, and 30% are undecided.
“The trend toward the change of the people’s sentiments for the better is continuing,” the Sociological Group Rating said.
The relatively larger shares of optimists are among the residents of southern Ukraine, younger respondents, and supporters of the Servant of the People, Power and Honor, and Holos (Voice) Parties, while the voters of the European Solidarity and Opposition Platform – For Life parties are relatively more pessimistic.
As many as 22% of the respondents approve of Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman’s performance, while 65% disapprove of it.
Nearly 90% of the respondents are dissatisfied with the Verkhovna Rada’s performance, and only 5% praised it.
The poll showed that 50% of the respondents expect President Zelensky to resolve the problem of a ceasefire in Donbas.
Another 38% expect that tariffs for housing and utilities would be reduced, 22% that tycoons’ influence on politics would be limited, 20% want social standards to increase, and 19% expect corrupt officials to be punished.
In addition, 17% expect that the immunity of parliamentarians would be abolished, 16% that the quality of medical services would be improved, 13% want more active cooperation with NATO and the European Union, 12% better cooperation with Russia, 12% stronger Ukrainian Armed Forces, and 10% the country’s unification.
Ukraine reduced imports of crude oil (HS Code: 2709) by 29.1%, or 110,767 tonnes, in January-May 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, to 269,429 tonnes.
Crude oil imports were estimated at $138.115 million, which was 32.8% less than in January-May 2018 ($205.489 million), Ukraine’s State Fiscal Service said.
Crude oil from Azerbaijan was imported to the tune of $135.679 million (the share of total imports was 98.24%), shipments from Latvia totaled $2.321 million (1.68%), and those from Hungary stood at $82,000 (0.06%), and other countries – $33,000 (0.02%).
Ukraine did not export crude oil in January-May this year.
As reported, Ukraine in 2011 imported 5.826 million tonnes of oil for $4.384 billion, in 2012 – 1.544 million tonnes for $1.233 billion, in 2013 – 761,058 tonnes for $630.282 million, in 2014 – 178,613 tonnes for $146.533 million, in 2015 – 248,158 tonnes for $89.039 million, in 2016 – 515,954 tonnes for $173.835 million, in 2017 – 1.013 million tonnes of oil for $442.219 million and in 2018 – 766,832 tonnes for $431.735 million.
PepsiCo Ukraine is selling a dairy plant in Kharkiv region.
“As part of the project to improve the efficiency of the production infrastructure of PJSC Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine [a member of PepsiCo Ukraine, owns the plant], the company has decided to consolidate the dairy production at a single production site in Kyiv region. The sale process of the Kharkiv dairy plant and its transfer to the new owner is now at the final stage,” PepsiCo Ukraine told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to the press service, the company will continue developing the dairy business and the production under the Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine’s trademarks.
“The dairy business remains one of the priorities for PepsiCo Ukraine. Until the final completion of the transaction the details of the sale and purchase, as well as information about the buyer, are not disclosed for objective reasons,” the press service of the company said.
According to the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, on June 13, the authority considered the purchase of Kharkiv Dairy Plant LLC.
According to the public register, Kharkiv Dairy Plant LLC was registered in February 2019. Its owner is Oleh Zverev. He also owns Bilozavodsky Elevator LLC (Kharkiv).
Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC (Moscow, Russian Federation) in May 2019 announced the squeeze-out of shares of the minority shareholders in PJSC Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine.
Kyivsky cardboard paper mill (Obukhiv, Kyiv region), a leader in Ukraine’s pulp and paper industry in terms of production and sales, saw a 5.9% rise in production of goods in money terms in January-May 2019 year-over-year, to UAH 2.275 billion, according to the Ukrpapir association.
Corrugated packaging output grew by 0.6%, to 94.06 million square meters, retaining the second highest result among producers of corrugated packaging in Ukraine after Rubizhne cardboard packaging mill in Luhansk region (with Trypilsky packaging plant).
Production of cardboard decreased 6.3%, to 80,070 tonnes. Production of package cardboard alone fell by 0.4%, to 58,650 tonnes, while box cardboard output fell by almost 19.3%, to 21,420 tonnes.
Production of base paper (for sanitary products) stood at almost 33,000 tonnes, which is 4.7% up year-over-year. Toilet paper output rose by 5.2%, to 183 million rolls.
Corrugated packaging output in total in Ukraine (including other producers) fell by almost 5% in January-March 2019, to 234.17 million square meters, that of paper and cardboard decreased by 8.7%, to 213,860 tonnes and toilet paper grew by 3.7%, to 173 million rolls.
Kyivsky cardboard paper mill is one of the largest cardboard and paper producers in Europe. It employs almost 2,200 people. It sells produce to almost 700 companies in Ukraine, some CIS member states and the rest of the world.
Ukraine in January-May 2019 imported 3.239 million tonnes of petroleum products (HS code 2710 – petrol, diesel, fuel oil, jet fuel, etc.), which is 19% more than in the same period of 2018.
According to the State Fiscal Service, oil products were imported for $2.039 billion, which is 17.3% more than in January-May 2018 ($1.739 billion).
Fuel imports from the Russian Federation amounted to $842.143 million (a 41.3% share), Belarus to $775.058 million (38.01%), Lithuania to $223.217 million (10.95%), other countries to $198.688 million (9.74%).
In addition, in January-May 2019, Ukraine exported 295,850 tonnes (45.1% up from January-May 2018) of oil products for a total of $132.966 million (a rise of 27.9%). The cost of fuel supplied to counterparties from Greece was $45.016 million, Latvia $15.785 million, Malta some $13.739 million, other countries some $58.426 million.
As reported, Ukraine in 2011 imported oil products for $6.954 billion and exported – for $3.339 billion, in 2012 – for $7.607 billion and $1.389 billion, in 2013 – for $6.418 billion and $810.772 million, in 2014 – for $6.698 billion and $510.596 million, in 2015 – for $3.857 billion and $116.385 million, in 2016 – for $3.267 billion and $86.585 million, in 2017 – for $4.159 billion and $180.851 million, and in 2018 – for $5.541 billion and $249.616 million.
Grain production in Ukraine in the 2019/2020 MY (marketing year, July-June) will increase to 94 million tonnes (in the 2018/2019 MY the figure was 92 million tonnes), President of the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) Mykola Horbachev has said at a press conference. “We expect 94 million tonnes of grain. Any overproduction will be in demand in the foreign market. Over the next three to four years, we expect production to increase to 100 million tonnes, and exports to 70 million tonnes,” he said.
According to him, areas under grain crops in Ukraine are stable, and the volume of production depends on the climate. Western regions of Ukraine are leading in production, and this trend will continue.
The expert also stressed that in the current season the maximum monthly volume of grain transshipment was 6 million tonnes, which dispels doubts whether the country will be able to increase exports to 70 million tonnes of grain in future.
