The growth of Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) in January-March 2019 was 2.5% compared to the same period in 2018, the State Statistics Service has reported, while according to its preliminary estimate made in mid-May this figure was 2.2%. According to statistics, GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2018 was 3.5% and 3.3% in general for 2018.
According to the State Statistics Service, real GDP in January-March of this year (taking into account the seasonal factor) rose by 0.3% compared with the previous quarter.
The service said that nominal GDP for the first quarter of 2019 amounted to UAH 807.8 billion, while the figure per capita stood at UAH 19,179, the change in deflator was 11.7%.
In early May, the National Bank estimated GDP growth in the first quarter of this year at 2.4%, and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade somewhat later at 2.2%.
At the end of April, the NBU confirmed the forecast for GDP growth for 2019-2021. According to its expectations, this year it will slow down to 2.5%, and in 2020-2021 it will accelerate to 2.9% and 3.7% respectively.
In early April of this year, the Ministry of Finance announced that the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade had worsened the forecast for Ukraine’s GDP growth to 2.8% in 2019, while the national budget for this year was approved on the basis of the forecast of economic growth by 3%.
Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of june 20
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
National bank of ukraine’s official rates as of 20/06/19
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
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.
