Vitaliy Koval, Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine
Small-scale privatization has been systematically gaining momentum over the past 5 years (from 2019 to 2023) with some interruptions, in particular due to a full-scale invasion. Last year’s performance largely surpassed all previous results and demonstrated the effectiveness and timeliness of privatization in general.
Budget revenues
As a result of small-scale privatization in 2019, which was carried out by the State Property Fund of Ukraine, the budget received approximately UAH 561 million. The following year, this amount increased almost 5 times and exceeded UAH 2.69 billion. In 2021, the budget received UAH 3.5 billion. In 2022, when there was a break in privatization until September, the Fund transferred assets worth UAH 1.74 billion to private investors in less than six months.
Last year, proceeds from the privatization of state property amounted to UAH 2.84 billion. The state has fully resumed this process and is helping to support the state budget with funds that ensure our protection and defense against the aggressor. In total, over the past 5 years, privatization revenues, excluding large-scale privatization objects, amounted to UAH 11.34 billion.
As for the price of the assets sold by the Fund, the final value of the property increased the most compared to the starting price in 2020.
Increase in the sale price of assets relative to their initial value
After the fall of this indicator in 2021, it has been growing over the past two years. Thus, in 2023, the sale price was 2.7 times higher than the initial price.
Competition in auctions
The increase in budget revenues and the growth of the final price indicate an important thing. Participants in the auctions held by the SPFU through the Prozorro.Sale system are interested in state assets and are ready to fight for them. The indicators of competitiveness in 2023 leave no doubt about this.
Average competition in privatization auctions
Over the past 5 years, competition in successful auctions has been growing steadily. But while from 2020 to 2022 its level was in the range of 3.1-3.6 bidders per auction, in 2023 almost 5 bidders competed for each lot on average.
This year, there is every chance of exceeding even such strong results: in the first quarter of 2024, more than 5 bidders took part in each successful auction on average.
Business interest in state assets
Business activity in privatization auctions is driven by many factors. Some companies need to relocate to regions far from the front line. Some entrepreneurs want to build a business on a ready-made material base, with the infrastructure, equipment and communications offered by the state when it sells, for example, single property complexes. Others need real estate, warehouses, workshops, garages, etc. to expand their current capacities.
So entrepreneurship in Ukraine is developing even in the face of war and other difficulties. And the government is striving to provide business with resources that will help it do so.
There are lots in which the market sees such great prospects and value that dozens of participants compete for them at once. The record was set in 2020, when 48 bidders competed for an unfinished garage for 50 cars in Kyiv. The second lot was non-residential premises in Uzhhorod. This auction, which had 47 bidders, took place in 2023.
As a result of this demand, the price of the first property in Kyiv increased almost 35 times (from just over UAH 1 million to UAH 36 million). And the cost of the second lot in Uzhhorod increased 818 times (from UAH 12.2 thousand to UAH 10 million).
Businesses are interested in assets of different sizes, but the vast majority of lots sold through privatization cost up to UAH 1 million.
Distribution of successful auctions by the final value of the privatized object
In 2020, the share of auctions where the sale price of an asset was up to UAH 1 million reached a maximum of 86%. At the same time, in 2022, the share of auctions with the final value of the object from UAH 1 to UAH 10 million and even in the range of UAH 10-100 million increased significantly. Last year, the trend went in the opposite direction again: the number of assets sold for up to UAH 1 million began to grow.
It is also important to understand the overall economic context in Ukraine. A sharp drop in the hryvnia exchange rate, the crisis in many markets, the occupation of territories, and many other things have affected the ability of businesses to operate. This has hit small businesses particularly hard, as their already scarce material resources have been significantly depreciated and other problems have been added.
The return of demand for inexpensive, small state assets suggests that small and medium-sized businesses are resuming activity and continuing to grow after the first shocks of the full-scale invasion.
The average number of bidders in privatization auctions, relative to the final value of assets
At the same time, large market players are also interested in large state-owned assets when they come up for sale. Thus, in 2023, an average of 14.1 bidders participated in auctions with a sale price of more than UAH 100 million. At the same time, the average competition in auctions up to UAH 1 million last year amounted to 3.9 participants.
Efficiency of privatization processes
Overall, privatization auctions attracted thousands of players from different markets. The highest number of bidders, namely 2035, was in 2023. This is 3.3 times more than in 2022 and almost twice as many as in 2021. In 2020, this figure exceeded 1340 bidders. And in 2019, when privatization had just intensified, there were about 800 of them.
Legislative changes, business activity, competitive bidding, and their transparency and openness have helped to increase the efficiency of privatization processes. At the same time, the State Property Fund has also changed its approach in recent years and improved the process of preparing objects for sale. Information about the availability of state assets for privatization was disseminated through various communication channels to draw attention to these lots. In general, all information about the current lots, how to participate in the auction, and the results of privatization is collected on a separate special resource.
The Fund has developed a mechanism for sorting (triage) state assets, depending on their condition and market needs. The property that has no value or exists only on paper will be liquidated or bankrupt. Those objects that can work for the benefit of the economy in private hands will be privatized.
Effective steps taken by the SPFU and the interest of private investors have yielded results: in 2023, the share of successful auctions increased many times over compared to previous years.
Increase in the share of successful SPFU auctions
The lowest rate of successful auctions was recorded in 2021-2022: it was 17% of all announced auctions. Therefore, the peak result of almost 47% last year is a difference of 2.8 times.
Over the past 5 years, privatization has become more efficient, increased revenue, and attracted the attention of more and more entrepreneurs. This proves the success of Ukraine’s privatization strategy, when the state, instead of subsidizing unprofitable assets, gives them a new life and helps generate funds for the state budget at a time when the survival of our country depends on these revenues.
The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine has supported the proposal of the Association “Insurance Business” (ASB) and the League of Insurance Organizations of Ukraine (LIOU) on the inadmissibility of VAT taxation of commission remuneration of insurance agents, according to the press release of the ASB.
It is specified that the norm on VAT taxation was contained in the draft law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine to improve the taxation of insurance activities in Ukraine”.
As reported, both associations jointly appealed to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, the State Regulatory Service, the National Bank with a request not to worsen the tax conditions of insurance business and not to violate the requirements of the EU Directive.
“Ukraine is moving to the EU, so we must check all tax innovations both with common economic sense and with the principles and norms in force in the European Union,” says Vyacheslav Chernyakhovsky, general director of the Insurance Business Association.
At the same time, the press release specifies that the imposition of VAT on commissions of insurance agents directly contradicts the EU Council Directive No. 2006/112/EC of November 28, 2006 “On the Common System of Value Added Tax”. Article 135 “Exemption from taxation of other activities”, which expressly stipulate that “Member States shall exempt from taxation … insurance and reinsurance operations, including related services provided by insurance brokers and insurance agents.
The report also notes that to substantiate their position, insurance associations have analyzed the performance of insurers of Ukraine for the first nine months of 2023 and conducted a representative survey of market participants. According to the results of which it became clear that the state would not receive economic effect from this innovation, and on the contrary, there would be unpredictable additional costs for administration, control and monitoring of VAT operations in insurance activities.
“According to our estimates, our proposals, supported by the Ministry of Finance, saved each insurance company at least 40-50 thousand UAH monthly,” – said Chernyakhovsky.
insurance agents, MINISTRY OF FINANCE, TAXATION, VAT, АСБ, ЛСОУ
PJSC Ukrnafta has bought a special license from Chernigovnaftogazgeologiya (a subsidiary of state-owned Nadra Ukrayiny), the company’s director Serhiy Koretskyy said on Facebook.
According to him, thanks to the new license, Ukrnafta will receive an increase in total reserves by 1.01 billion cubic meters of gas and 100,000 tons of oil in 56.5 square kilometers of areas in northeastern Ukraine.
Koretskyy also noted that this is the first special permit obtained by Ukrnafta in the last 14 years.
As reported, Ukrnafta in 2023 increased production of oil with condensate by 3% (by 39.9 thousand tons) compared to 2022 – to 1 million 409.9 thousand tons, gas – by 5.8% (by 60.4 million cubic meters), to 1 billion 97.4 million cubic meters.
The company’s strategic goal is to double its oil and natural gas production to 3 million tons and 2 billion cubic meters respectively by 2027.
“Ukrnafta, Ukraine’s largest oil producer, is the operator of a national network of 537 gas stations, of which 456 are operational. The company is implementing a comprehensive program to revitalize its operations and update the format of its network of gas stations. Since February 2023, Ukrnafta has been issuing its own fuel coupons and NAFTACard, sold to legal entities and individuals through Ukrnafta-Postach LLC.
Ukrnafta’s largest shareholder is Naftogaz of Ukraine with a 50%+1 share stake. On November 5, 2022, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the AFU decided to transfer to the state a share of the corporate rights of the company owned by private owners, which is now managed by the Ministry of Defense.
Ukraine has exported 34.862 million tons of grain and leguminous crops since the beginning of the 2023/24 marketing year and as of April 1, of which 5.192 million tons were shipped in March, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalization Denis Bashlyk said in Telegram.
According to the report, in terms of crops, 18.765 million tons of corn, 13.842 million tons of wheat, 1.962 million tons of barley, and 1,000 tons of rye have been exported since the beginning of the current season.
The total export of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of April 1 is estimated at 79.3 thousand tons, including wheat flour – 75.1 thousand tons.
Gold, which ended trading last Thursday at an all-time high, continues to rise in price on Monday on expectations that the Federal Reserve will soon begin cutting interest rates, MarketWatch writes.
On Friday, stock exchanges in the U.S. and many European countries were closed due to Easter.
Quotes of June contracts for the precious metal were $2238.4 per ounce at the close of trading on New York’s Comex exchange on Thursday. On Monday, it rose 1.7% to $2276.9.
Gold added 8.9% in March and was up 8% for the entire first quarter.
The “unprecedented rally” was triggered by softer-than-expected U.S. inflation data, which reinforced expectations that the Fed could start lowering rates as early as June, IG Senior Market Analyst Sergio Avila said.
The U.S. consumer price index (PCE index) in February rose by 0.3% in February compared to the previous month, the Commerce Department said on Friday. The rise was weaker than analysts’ expectations, who had forecast inflation to remain at January’s 0.4% rate.
Growth in the PCE Core index, which excludes the cost of food and energy, slowed to 0.3% month-on-month last month from 0.5% in January. The dynamics matched the consensus forecast.
Markets estimate the probability of a Fed prime rate cut in June at about 70%, Avila said. And it is expected to be cut by 75 basis points in total over 2024 from its current range of 5.25-5.5% per annum.
“Lower interest rates create a favorable environment for gold, increasing its attractiveness as an investment asset,” the expert added.
“Gold investors are currently acting with the belief that the Fed will choose to cut interest rates regardless of whether inflation reaches its target level or not,” said Stephen Innes, managing partner of SPI Asset Management. Demand is also being driven by the fact that central banks in developing countries are increasing their holdings of the precious metal, he said.
The war in Ukraine has caused more than 4 million people to lose their homes due to destruction from missile attacks and forced displacement from the frontline and occupied territories. Amid these challenges, there is an urgent need for affordable, adaptive and flexible housing.
This is the problem addressed by European Design Upgrade 3.0, an international project aimed at finding and implementing effective solutions and technologies in the development of modular housing for people who have lost their homes. The goal of the project is to rethink modular construction for crisis areas and situations, such as wars, natural disasters, and other adversities.
“The key idea of EDU 3.0 is to bring together architects, engineers, designers, and other stakeholders to create new and effective solutions in the construction of modular buildings. This is an important task and a serious challenge, as modular houses are the key to solving the problem of temporary affordable housing in Ukraine for all those affected by the war,” comments Yuriy Pyvovarov, President of K.Fund, the project’s implementing organization.
The EDU 3.0 program was developed jointly with leading experts from Estonia, Ukraine, and Finland and is based on the principles of human-centered design thinking. In particular, at the opening of the project, experts shared that in modular housing, this approach should take into account comfort, functionality, energy efficiency, and sustainability to meet the needs and experiences of people who have lost their homes. “Our main task is to change the attitude of people in Ukraine to this type of housing, to convey that modular construction is about quality, aesthetics, and energy efficiency, among other things,” adds Olha Batova, EDU 3.0 project mentor.
The project also focuses on solving urgent problems faced by Ukrainian and global modular settlements. Kateryna Tkachuk, an EDU 2.0 finalist and speaker of this year’s project, spoke about the most important ones:
1. Lack of personal and common space, as well as rooms specially equipped for cooking and hygiene.
2. Ignoring factors important for a safe and comfortable life, such as non-compliance with fire safety rules or constant dampness and mold.
3. Lack of flexibility and adaptability, which is also an important factor for adjustments for people with disabilities.
The project involves specialists in the field of design, construction and architecture, students and graduates of specialized higher education institutions, as well as entrepreneurs and members of the public. Currently, participants are at the stage of selection for the hackathon to develop new ideas, where they will be able to plan and design their solutions for modular housing in a group work format. Throughout the hackathon, as well as during the development of their own projects, participants will receive ongoing mentoring support, and later, the evaluation and selection of the best projects for awarding at the awards ceremony. The authors of the best concepts will receive additional support and funding to implement their project.
Participation is free of charge. EDU 3.0 is implemented by K.Fund, Brand Manual, UrbanMill, and Ultrahack. The project is funded by the European Union under the Creative Europe program. The project’s media partner is the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
You can register for the hackathon, which will take place from April 11 to 13, and learn more about the project here: https://edupgrade.design/.
