The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) has put German building materials manufacturer Knauf on the list of international war sponsors due to its continued business activities in the Russian Federation. “Only for 2022, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of building materials Knauf will pay about $117 million to the budget of the terrorist country rf. In addition, the German company actively promotes mobilization in russia, sending its employees to the war against Ukraine,” – stated in the message NAPC.
According to its data, Knauf is the largest German investor in the construction sector of the Russian Federation – there the company is represented by a dozen subsidiaries, and also has 20 factories, six training and 29 resource centers in the system of secondary vocational education. In addition, on the territory of one of the production facilities Knauf in Tatarstan organized the Russian production of UAV Shahed-136, the report notes.
As noted by the NAPC, according to the German media, the Russian managers of the Knauf plant in Krasnogorsk near Moscow coordinated with the authorities lists of mobilization.
In addition, the management of Knauf is closely connected by diplomatic relations with representatives of the political regime of the Russian Federation, points out the NAPC. Thus, the co-owner of the company Nikolaus Wilhelm Knauf 23 years until March 2022 had the status of Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation with representation in Nuremberg. Despite the fact that Knauf left this post after the start of the full-scale invasion, the company stated its intention to continue working in the Russian Federation.
Knauf also takes part in construction exhibitions in RF, and has organized its own Russian-made construction technology festival.
“Specialists from Knauf continue to build cities to the aggressor country. This contrasts particularly cynically with the thousands of destroyed residential houses in Ukraine by the aggressor’s army, which is financed, among other things, from Knauf’s taxes,” the NAPC notes.
Knauf, NAPC, National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption
The financial plan of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” (UZ) for 2024 was approved with a projected loss of 12.6 billion UAH, which will be covered by the implementation of the plan to break-even, the press service of UZ reported on the official website of the company on Monday.
“The Cabinet of Ministers approved the financial plan of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” for 2024. Thus, planned income in the amount of 103.2 billion UAH, in particular, net income from the sale of products (goods, works, services) in the amount of 98.6 billion UAH”, – said in the message of UZ.
It is indicated that the company’s EBITDA is planned at the level of UAH 11.8 billion. EBITDA profitability index will amount to 12%.
The costs of UZ in 2024 will amount to 115.8 billion UAH. In particular, it is envisaged that the cost of sales will increase by 13%, mainly due to the need to increase employee salaries and electricity tariffs.
Revenue from freight transportation is expected to amount to UAH 80.1 billion, from passenger transportation – UAH 9.3 billion.
The planned volume of payments to the State and local budgets – 24 billion UAH, which is 5% more than in 2023.
“For the third year in a row we approve the main financial document of the company even before the new year. This time also in a record time”, – are quoted in the message the words of the head of the Board of UZ Eugene Lyashchenko.
He stressed that the approved financial plan does not provide for the attraction of funds from the state budget, the priority of which is the financing of the country’s defense capability.
“Our task remains stable provision of passenger and freight transportation in wartime conditions and financing of necessary investments for support and restoration of railway infrastructure at the expense of own and attracted from international financial institutions funds. In addition, the financial plan provides for an increase in salaries of railway workers”, – said Lyashchenko, noting that the current salaries of UZ employees do not correspond to their real contribution to the defense capability and economy of Ukraine.
The head of UZ pointed out that work on the financial plan was started back in the third quarter, when the work of ports was completely blocked.
“We have already developed our proposals for reaching break-even. In particular, given the trend of the last two months of this year, we have made a more optimistic forecast for cargo transportation. Also, we plan to unify tariffs: make them more transparent and bring them to the European model. We continue to work on cost optimization,” – said Lyashchenko.
UZ said that the financial plan for 2024 forecasts losses at the level of 12.6 billion hryvnias. They will be covered by the developed plan to reach break-even.
In addition, it is planned to utilize capital investments in the amount of UAH 38 billion. In particular, these funds will be used to restore the infrastructure damaged by the enemy and develop crossings with EU countries.
A “dry port” for grain exports to Europe will be built in the village of Horonda, Mukachevo district, Zakarpattia region, the press service of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration reported on Facebook.
“A multimodal logistics hub for grain exports to the EU will appear in Zakarpattia. We are working with Italian investors to implement the Horonda Platform project in the village of Horonda, Mukachevo district,” said Viktor Mykyta, head of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration.
According to him, the project provides for the creation of opportunities for transshipment of agricultural products from a wide to a narrow road, the emergence of storage facilities, and the provision of a center with containers for grain, sunflower oil, etc. Horonda Platform is expected to create more than 200 new jobs in the Zakarpattia region.
“The emergence of such a land grain corridor in our region is a priority task of national importance. This project is especially important in times of war. We are grateful for the great trust of the country’s leadership and international investors,” emphasized Mykyta.
Representatives of the Italian companies involved in the project, including FS Holding, Mercitalia Rail, and Mercitalia Terminal, emphasized that they are interested in strengthening communication with the Ukrainian side, including Zakarpattia, in socio-economic, legal, and other aspects.
dry port, FS Holding, Horonda Platform, Mercitalia Rail, Mercitalia Terminal
Today Azerbaijan presents an example of a balanced approach to the restoration and reintegration of returned territories.
The realization of the free economic zone “Karabakh” has been launched in completely destroyed Karabakh. The new enterprises that will actively appear in this region are aimed at producing products that will ensure energy independence and full functioning of the region.
This experience becomes certainly useful for Ukraine, which is already preparing for the reconstruction of the destroyed territories after their return.
“Our company is considering the possibility of creating a Ukrainian-Polish-Azerbaijani consortium for the production of inverters, exciters of process control systems and recorders. This consortium will be based on the developments of Ukrainian and Polish engineers and is aimed at meeting the demand not only in the eastern region, but also in the world. The equipment manufactured according to the developments of the specialists of “TWERD Energo-Plus Sp. z o.o.”, a member of the consortium “ENERGO-Plus”, successfully works in the projects realized by our Baku partners in the Baku Metro, providing a reliable ventilation control system. This becomes strategically important in the context of the current situation in Ukraine, where reliable ventilation of the subway is of great importance due to the presence of a large number of people during air alarms”, – said the director of ENERGO-PLUS Eugene Korff.
The Ukrainian enterprise seeks to adopt the experience of reintegration of de-occupied territories and together with Azerbaijan contribute to the development of sustainable economic and social systems.
