The Lviv international airport in January-October 2018 saw a 46.3% rise in passenger traffic, to 1.343 million people, the airport has reported on its official Facebook page.
According to the airport, in October 2018, 138,500 passengers took advantage of air transportation (119,900 international, and 18,600 domestic), which is 43.4% more than in October 2017 (96,600).
The number of flights made in October reached 1,355 (1,117 international, and 238 domestic), which is 28% more than in October last year (1,101).
The number of flights in January-October increased 28%, to 12,900 from 10,100.
The new terminal complex of the Lviv airport, built for Euro 2012, was put into operation on April 12, 2012. The new terminal with a total area of 39,000 square meters has nine boarding gates, 28 check-in desks, two self-registration kiosks, 18 passport control points and 12 points for aviation security.
The main international routes served by the airport are: Warsaw, Istanbul, Munich, Vienna, Baku, Thessaloniki, Madrid, Rome, Tel Aviv, Bologna, Radom, Iraklion, Minsk and Burgas.
UDP Renewables, responsible for the development of projects in the field of renewable energy of UFuture Investment Group belonging to businessman Vasyl Khmelnytsky, has commissioned the 18.3 MW Free-Energy-Henichesk solar power station (Kherson region). According to the press service of the company, investment in the plant construction amounted to $18 million. The planned annual volume of electricity generation is 23,500 MWh, which will allow providing 9,000 households with energy.
During the construction of the plant, some 65,340 JinkoSolar panels were used, while additional goods and services were purchased from Ukrainian suppliers. Ukrgasbank acted as a financial partner of the project, KNESS group of companies was the general contractor, the company noted.
“We continue to develop in the “green” energy sector, as this is one of the most interesting areas of business in Ukraine today. Over the past year, the solar plants’ capacity in our country has almost doubled, but we still have room to grow compared to Europe, where the share of renewable energy averages 8.5%,” the press service said citing founder of UFuture Investment Group Vasyl Khmelnytsky.
The company also noted that UDP Renewables’ development strategy provides for the implementation of energy projects with a total capacity of 200 MW in the southern regions of Ukraine in 2018-2019.
Free-Energy-Henichesk solar plant is the second realized project of UDP Renewables, which currently also manages 6 MW Dymer solar plant-1 (Kyiv region).
UFuture Investment Group, headquartered in Brussels, was established in autumn 2017 and united the business projects of Vasyl Khmelnytsky. The group includes the Ukrainian development company UDP, whose specialization is the implementation of large infrastructure projects. In addition, the conglomerate united businesses in such areas as UDP Renewables, the Bila Tserkva industrial park, the innovation parks UNIT.City, and LvivTech.City.
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The World Bank has lowered its forecast for growth of Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018 to 3.3% from 3.5%, Lead Economist and Program Leader covering Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine at the World Bank Faruk Khan said.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the October 2018 World Economic Outlook (WEO) lowered its estimate for the growth in Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019 to 2.7% from 3.3% projected in April.
The Board of Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is ready to approve a new program to support the economic policy of Ukraine, a Stand-By Arrangement, only after the final review of heating tariffs in accordance with the increase in gas prices.
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has approved a resolution on the conclusions and proposals to a bill on the national budget for 2019 drawn up by the parliamentary budget committee, which means the adoption of the draft national budget at first reading.
The deficit of Ukraine’s foreign trade in goods in January-August 2018 increased by 45.7% compared to January-July 2017, to $5.004 billion (it was $3.434 billion in January-August 2017.
Inflationary pressure remains high, despite the weakening of the food inflation, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has said, commenting on the September inflation figure on its website.
Consumer prices in Ukraine after a decline by 0.7% in July and stability in August grew by 1.9% in September, and since early 2018 their growth was 5.6%, the State Statistics Service has reported.
The surplus of the national budget of Ukraine in January-September 2018 amounted to UAH 7.329 billion.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has reviewed upwards growth of consumer prices in 2018 to 10.1% from 8.9%, taking into account the fact that large inflation pressure remains and the regulated prices are increased, the central bank has reported on its website.
The World Bank has improved its forecast for Ukraine’s state and guaranteed debt in 2018 to 67.2% from 75.1% of GDP, in 2019 – from 73.5% to 64.8% of GDP, and in 2020 – from 68.4% to 62.4% of GDP, the World Bank said in its latest Ukraine Economic Update.
The aggregate state (direct) and state-guaranteed debt of Ukraine in September 2018 decreased by 0.25%, or by $0.19 billion, to $74.66 billion, according to the website of the Ministry of Finance.
The international reserves of Ukraine in September 2018 decreased by 3.5% and as of October 1 amounted to $16.638 billion, the corresponding preliminary data have been posted on the website of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
The balance of payment in August has a surplus of $27 million, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has reported.
Industrial production in Ukraine in September 2018 decreased by 1.3% compared to September 2017, while in August it fell by 0.5% compared to August 2017, in July the growth was 2.9%, in June this figure was 2.2%, and in May some 2.5%, the State Statistics Service has said.
Retail trade turnover in Ukraine in January-September 2018 increased by 5.5% in comparable prices in comparison with January-September 2017, the State Statistics Service has said.
Ukrainians in September were optimistic about the country’s economic development over the next year – the respective index grew by 10 points compared with the August figure, to 62.6, and consumer confidence improved by 2.3 points.
