The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted as a basis the bill №9083, providing for deregulation and detenization of the market of trade in used vehicles, said the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Daniil Hetmantsev.
“Verkhovna Rada adopted as a basis the bill №9083 the initiator of which I am,” he wrote in his Telegram channel on Tuesday.
Getmantsev recalled that the market of used cars before the war was 1.7 million cars per year, in 2023 – 780 thousand.
“This year we expect 1.5 million and only 2.5% of this is sold in white. From the sale of a car in the “white” the state receives an average of 19.8 thousand UAH. From the sale in the “black” – 0″, – he wrote.
At the same time, the head of the parliamentary Committee reminds that for the work of the “white” market there is a hindrance – the requirement of additional registration of the car on the intermediary “with a bunch of unnecessary certificates”.
“The abolition of meaningless state registration of used cars by the trading organization on itself, even if it buys them as goods for resale – will be a pledge for the withdrawal of the market from the shadow, the expansion of the activities of “white” auto traders and the elimination of schemes by which the budget underpays taxes,” – commented the bill Getmantsev.
As reported, the bill № 9063 on the abolition of state registration of used cars on trade organizations that buy them as a commodity for further sale, registered in the Rada on March 6, 2023.
Among its co-authors are Hetmantsev, MPs Yaroslav Zheleznyak (Golos faction), Maryana Bezuglaya, Yevhen Bragar (“Servant of the People”), Dmytro Razumkov (non-faction).
Official car importers and dealers noted that deregulation of the used car trade market will not lead to an increase in prices, as the official market dictates prices and no one will pay more than a car costs.
The State Customs Service of Ukraine has granted the status of an authorized economic operator of the type “on confirmation of safety and reliability” (AEO-B) to SCF Ukraine PJSC (Lutsk).
“SCF Ukraine became the second enterprise in Ukraine to receive AEO-B authorization. Each enterprise that prepares and successfully passes the assessment of compliance with the AEO authorization of the type “on confirmation of safety and reliability” is a step towards the possibility of Ukraine’s conclusion of mutual recognition agreements, in particular with the European Union,” the service said in a publication in its Telegram channel on Monday.
The State Customs Service stressed that the authorization of AEO type “on confirmation of safety and reliability” gives enterprises the right to enjoy exclusive advantages. Among them – prior notification of customs inspection at the checkpoint, priority fulfillment of customs formalities, special traffic lane at the checkpoint, reduction of risk by the automated customs clearance system, use of the national AEO logo.
In contrast to enterprises that have received the more common AEO authorization of the type “on granting the right to apply simplifications” (AEO-C), enterprises with AEO-B authorization will be able to receive benefits on the basis of international agreements on mutual determination in other countries.
The agency recalled that the AEO-C authorization gives enterprises the right to receive simplifications, including transit simplifications, in particular, regarding the procedure of release by location, independent application of special type of seals, general guarantee and “authorized shipper”.
According to the published information, as of today 36 enterprises in Ukraine have received 38 AEO authorizations: 36 AEO-C and 2 AEO-B. One company can get both statuses at will.
The SKF Ukraine plant in Lutsk, controlled by Sweden’s SKF, produces roller and needle bearings and wheel units for heavy-duty/commercial vehicles.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Poland on Tuesday, April 23, to announce a massive increase in military support for Ukraine, specifically £500 million of additional military funding, according to the British government’s website.
According to the release, Sunak will meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss deepening British-Polish relations. The two sides will also hold talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw on European security and support for Ukraine. The British prime minister will then travel to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
“Ukraine faces an existential threat as Russia continues its barbaric invasion, risking the security and stability of the whole of Europe,” the statement said.
The additional funding of £500 million is being used to quickly deliver urgently needed ammunition, air defense, drones and engineering support. The drones will be procured from the UK.
The UK Ministry of Defense will send Ukraine a package of equipment designed to repel a Russian invasion on land, sea and air. The aid package contains 60 boats, including raid and dive boats and naval guns, more than 1,600 strike and anti-air missiles, as well as additional long-range Storm Shadow missiles, more than 400 pieces of equipment, including 160 Husky protected vehicles, 162 armored vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles, and nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
“Protecting Ukraine from Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital to our security and to all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of conquest, he will not stop at the Polish border… Ukraine’s armed forces continue to fight bravely but need our support – and need it Now today’s package will help ensure that Ukraine has everything it needs to fight Russia,” Sunak emphasized.
At the same time, UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that “this record-breaking military aid package will give President Zelensky and his brave nation more of the tools they need to kick Putin out and restore peace and stability in Europe.”
“The UK was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to give modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles. Now we are going even further. We will never let the world forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting and with our continued support they will win,” said Shapps.
Mayor of Hamburg (Germany) Peter Tschentscher (Peter Tschentscher) has arrived on a visit to Kiev and intends to discuss with the mayor of the Ukrainian capital Vitaliy Klitschko the issues of cooperation between the cities.
“Today I am communicating with Vitaliy in the Ukrainian capital about support within the framework of our “Pact for Solidarity and Future”. I would like to meet Kiev, express our solidarity and discuss cooperation between our cities,” Cencher wrote on social media X on Monday.
“The people of Ukraine are resisting Russian aggression with courage, perseverance and great strength. Our support must continue until the war is over and reconstruction begins,” the Hamburg mayor added.
Maniveo Emergency Financial Assistance LLC (TM Moneyveo) estimates its share in the online consumer lending market at 13-15% and plans to increase it by 1.5 percentage points (p.p.) this year, including by expanding into the small and medium-sized business (SMB) customer segment, the company’s CEO Sergey Sinchenko said.
“We are considering various strategies to achieve this goal, in particular expanding the customer segment, for example, at the expense of SMEs, increasing awareness of our products and services, as well as improving interaction with existing and potential customers,” he pointed out in comments to Interfax-Ukraine.
According to Sinchenko, Moneyveo’s strategic plans include expanding the range of services, improving customer service processes and developing marketing initiatives. Also, in order to improve cross-functional interaction within the company and involve employees more in decision-making, the lender plans to move from a functional management structure to a process approach, the CEO said.
“We are also focusing on optimizing operational efficiency, developing digital technologies and process automation, and improving personal data protection,” Sinchenko said.
He pointed out that Moneyveo made its last coupon payment in early February 2024 and fully redeemed its UAH100 million Series B bond issue in December 2021, after which its maturity was extended for another year in January 2023 with an increase in its interest rate from 18% to 26% per annum.
“Thus we have demonstrated our ability to effectively use financial instruments and fulfill financial obligations, which confirms our stability and reliability in the financial sphere,” commented Sinchenko.
The company considers the new bond issue as one of the tools to ensure further growth and expansion of its operations.
“The probability of its use will depend on the situation with the growth of activity, the competitive environment of the investment market. Now we are planning an issue in 2024 if the growth in issuance (of loans – IF-U) several months in a row will be at least 10%,” Sinchenko informed.
According to the NBU data, Maniveo Ambulance Financial Assistance LLC’s net revenue for 2023 amounted to UAH 1.30 billion, or 8th place in the market, net profit – UAH 2.66 million. The company’s assets at the end of last year amounted to UAH 600.37 million.
FINANCIAL AID, Fincompany, Moneyveo, online lending, Serhiy Sinchenko
Cement, as the main building material, will be key to rebuilding Ukraine. The best way to choose high-quality cement is to choose factory cement.
The key to cement quality in accordance with EU Regulation 305 is careful control at all stages of its production.
On June 23, 2022, Ukraine officially received the status of an EU candidate.
We continue to work towards the realization of our goal of providing the construction industry with high-quality and safe building materials, increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian construction products, and promoting innovative industrial development.
The cement industry was one of the first to adopt EN regulatory standards for cement, even those already translated and adopted into Ukrainian (Order 391 of 27.12.2023 by UkrNDNC).
Today, in Ukraine, at the choice of the manufacturer, cement can be produced according to the Ukrainian DSTU B V. 2.7-46:2010 or the European standard DSTU B EN 197-1:2015.
To inform consumers, Ukrcement’s website – in the ASSORTMENT / CONSUMER section – contains materials about the cements available on the market, including cement cards containing data on the composition, characteristics, properties of cement and its intended use.
https://ukrcement.com.ua/2016-02-07-16-14-53/asortyment.html
Given that the most popular types of cement produced by all manufacturers in 2022-2023 were cements with slag: PC II/A-S 400, PC II/A-S 500, here is an example of one card.
Portland cement with slag PC II/A-S 400 is called Portlandslag cement CEM II/A-S 32.5 according to the European standard.
It contains:
Clinker: 80-94%.
Granulated blast furnace slag S (S): 6-20%
Additional components: 0-5%
PC II/A-Sh-400, according to tests in accordance with DSTU B V. 2.7-46:2010, has:
– 7 days – early strength ≥ 20 MPa (P* – days ≥ 20 MPa);
– 28 days – standard strength ≥ 40 MPa;
CEM II/A-S 32.5 according to tests in accordance with DSTU B EN 197-1:2015:
– 7 days – early strength ≥ 16 MPa (P* – 2 days ≥ 10 MPa);
– 28 days – standard strength ≥ 32.5 MPa ≥ 52.5 MPa.
Such cement may have the designations P-H and R in its name:
H – based on clinker of normalized composition
P – high early cement strength – 2 days ≥ 20 MPa
R – class with high early strength – 2 days ≥ 10 MPa
The main properties of PC II/A-S-400 (CEM II/A-S 32.5) cement are high early strength, uniform strength gain, water resistance and frost resistance.
Cement of this brand (type) is used for residential construction, as well as for winter concreting and for the production of concrete of strength class B7.5 – B30, foundations, floors, paving slabs, construction of monolithic structures and hydraulic structures.
In 2023, the Law of Ukraine “On placing construction products on the market” (EU Regulation 305) came into force.
The two regulations will be in force simultaneously until 2025: The Law of Ukraine “On the Placing of Construction Products on the Market” (EU Regulation 305) and the Technical Regulation (as amended by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 347 of March 22, 2022).
But the domestic producer is at a disadvantage to the importer.
Today, in Ukraine, a domestic producer cannot go through the entire procedure according to the Law of Ukraine “On the Provision of Construction Products on the Market” for cement manufactured according to European standards, because there are no conformity assessment bodies in Ukraine in accordance with the requirements of Regulation 305. If a Ukrainian manufacturer undergoes a conformity assessment in Europe and draws up a declaration of performance, this declaration is not valid in Ukraine, as the law states that the manufacturer must obtain a certificate from a domestic conformity assessment body to draw up the declaration. At the same time, imports of products under EU declarations with CE marking are allowed under CMU Resolution 347 of 22.03.2022.
The Ukrainian cement industry exports products to neighboring countries, including the EU. This demonstrates high quality standards, compatibility with EU standards and competitiveness.
Ukrcement’s member companies have technical control departments and modern accredited laboratories for all tests of incoming raw materials and finished products.
The cement industry is probably the only heavy industry in Ukraine where players have modernized their production facilities to meet the required quality and quantity of products.
Cement, as the main building material, will be key to Ukraine’s recovery.
Ukrcement, the Association of Cement Producers of Ukraine, includes 5 groups of companies – 9 cement enterprises, 8 out of 9 cement plants are preserved and ready to work (Baltsem PJSC was in the war zone, was damaged and is not working now), but production depends on market demand. Unfortunately, the market is not yet operating at full capacity.
In 2021, cement production in Ukraine was 11.005 million tons, while consumption was 10.5 million tons. In 2022, production decreased by 51%, primarily due to falling demand, consumption was 4.3 million tons. In 2023, cement production was 7.43 million tons, which is 37.5% more than in 2022, but we have not yet reached the indicators of 2021, cement producers operated at only 60% of their real capacity, cement consumption in 2023 was 6.165 million tons. We expect that the reconstruction and recovery programs that have already started in Ukraine will contribute to the stability of growth dynamics.
We are confident that these programs will be fully operational once the war is over. It won’t be an instantaneous recovery to maximum consumption. The market will take 4-5 years to warm up. Demand for construction materials will increase by 30% over the pre-war level.
We can say that Ukraine has its own high-quality cement products that meet European standards and quality requirements. Producing plants are responsible for every ton of cement produced with their reputation. They constantly invest in equipment, processes, personnel and their development in order to supply high-quality products and provide impeccable service to their customers. The best way to choose high-quality cement for the reconstruction of Ukraine is to choose factory cement* produced by full-cycle companies – proven manufacturers to whom you can trust your safety.
The original products of Ukrcement Association members are packaged only in bags made of corrugated, textured paper under their own brands: IFCEM, CEMARK, KRYVYIRIGCEMENT, Dyckerhoff Cement Ukraine.
* Factory cement is cement produced by full-cycle companies – IFCEM, Cemark, Dyckerhoff Cement Ukraine, and Kryvyi Rih Cement!
