Kyiv has returned to the ranking of the most expensive cities to live in, ranking 132nd out of 173, according to a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The report notes that in 2022, the Ukrainian capital was not included in the ranking due to Russian aggression, and in 2021 it ranked 118th. Due to the lack of data for 2022, prices in Kyiv were not included in the calculation of average inflation.
The World Cost of Living (WCOL) study was conducted by the EIU from August 14 to September 11, 2023, based on prices for the most commonly used goods and services. In the world’s largest cities, prices have risen by an average of 7.4% over the past year, in terms of local currencies. This is slightly slower than the 8.1% price increase in 2022, but significantly higher than the trends of 2017-2021.
Singapore and Zurich share the first and second places in terms of cost of living, while New York and Geneva take the third and fourth places. The top ten most expensive cities also include Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Paris, Copenhagen, Tel Aviv and San Francisco. Western Europe accounts for four of the top ten most expensive cities in the ranking, due to persistent inflation and rising food and clothing prices, along with the appreciation of the euro and the region’s currencies.
Damascus (Syria) remains the cheapest city in the world. The Russian cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg have seen the largest drops in their rankings – by 105 places to 142nd place and by 74 places to 147th place, respectively.
The EIU compares more than 400 price indicators for more than 200 products and services in 173 cities.
Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko has signed a EUR50 million grant agreement with the German state development bank KfW to compensate for the interest rate costs for small and medium-sized businesses under the state program “Affordable Loans 5-7-9%,” the ministry’s press service said on Thursday.
“The funds will be used to refinance the costs of the Affordable Loans 5-7-9% program, which will allow small and medium-sized businesses to continue to have access to preferential lending,” Marchenko said and expressed gratitude to the German government for its cooperation and systemic support of Ukraine.
He emphasized that the allocated EUR 50 million will make a significant contribution to the improvement of existing business financial support programs.
The Minister also noted that the Entrepreneurship Development Fund (EDF) is a key institution of affordable financing for Ukrainian business aimed at restoring and developing entrepreneurship under martial law.
“The German government continues to support the Ukrainian side and facilitates further grants,” said Ulrike Hopp-Nishanka, Head of the Headquarters for Ukraine at the Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ).
She reminded that last year KfW provided EUR 150 million for the 5-7-9 program.
“These funds are an important component of German-Ukrainian development cooperation, the total amount of which in 2023 alone was more than EUR 600 million,” Hopp-Nishanka said.
Naftogaz Group has increased gas production by more than 400 thousand cubic meters by launching three wells in November, its CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov said.
“We continue to increase Ukrainian gas production! In November alone, three high-rate wells were put into operation (…). In total, in November we have an additional 400 thousand cubic meters of gas per day!” he wrote on his Facebook page on Friday.
Chernyshov clarified that two of the mentioned wells are new. Their launch was the result of the implementation of the largest 3D seismic survey program in the history of modern Ukraine and the high professionalism of Naftogaz specialists. The third well is a rehabilitated well that had been in the liquidation fund for 35 years.
As reported, in 2023, Ukrgasvydobuvannya set a goal to increase natural gas production by 1 billion cubic meters to 13.5 billion cubic meters. In 2022, the company produced 12.5 bcm of natural gas (commercial), which is 3% less than in 2021.
NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine owns 100% of Ukrgasvydobuvannya shares.
PJSC Interpipe Dnipropetrovs’k Vtormet (Dnipro), a member of Interpipe Pipe and Wheel Company (TKK), posted a consolidated net profit of UAH 43.841 million in January-September this year, compared to a consolidated net loss of UAH 58.818 million in the same period last year.
According to the company’s interim report, its net income for the period increased by 28.3% to UAH 3 billion 211.957 million.
Retained earnings as of the end of September 2023 amounted to UAH 192.715 million.
At the same time, Interpipe Dnipropetrovs’k Vtormet earned a non-consolidated net profit of UAH 44.657 million in 9M2023, while it ended the same period last year with a net loss of UAH 54.081 million. The net income for the period corresponds to the same figure in the consolidated financial statements.
As reported, Interpipe Dnipropetrovs’k Vtormet posted a consolidated net profit of UAH 25.460 million in the first half of the year, while it ended the same period last year with a consolidated net loss of UAH 38.239 million. Net income for the period increased by 38.6% to UAH 2 billion 155.760 million.
In January-June of this year, the company posted a non-consolidated net profit of UAH 25.637 million, while it ended the same period last year with a net loss of UAH 35.344 million. “In the first quarter of 2023, Interpipe Dnipropetrovs’k Vtormet earned UAH 15.480 million in profit, while it ended the same period last year with a net loss of UAH 16.57 million. Net income for the period increased by 32.5% to UAH 1 billion 111.279 million.
“Interpipe Dnipropetrovs’k Vtormet ended 2022 with a net loss of UAH 10.284 million, compared to UAH 14.234 million in net profit in 2021. At the same time, net income decreased by 51.8% to UAH 3 billion 276.74 million.
“Interpipe Dnipropetrovs’k Vtormet specializes in the procurement and processing of ferrous scrap in the Dnipro region and the subsequent sale of this product, including the preparation of metal charge for steelmaking plants.
As of the first quarter of 2023, Interpipe Limited (Cyprus) owns 98.6699% of the shares in Interpipe Dnipropetrovs’k Vtormet.
The company’s authorized capital is UAH 64.876 million.
The United States has provided Ukraine with two new powerful autotransformers that will operate in the Ukrainian grid and increase the reliability of energy supply to consumers in winter, NPC Ukrenergo reported.
“We sincerely thank the US government, the US Embassy in Ukraine and the USAID Energy Security Project for their assistance in the purchase and delivery of key equipment necessary for the Ukrainian energy infrastructure during the period of high winter loads,” the system operator wrote on its Facebook page on Friday.
“While Russia is sending missiles and drones at Ukraine’s power system, the United States is helping to keep it up and running. Together with Ukrenergo, this week we delivered two autotransformers to support the people of Ukraine this winter,” US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink wrote on social networking site X.
On Friday, December 1, special vehicles, emergency vehicles and bus service for passengers from the left bank to the right bank of the Podilsko-Voskresenskyi Bridge crossing were opened in Kyiv to ensure life support during martial law, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
“At the first stage, bus route No. 111 will operate here in the direction of the metro station “Square of Ukrainian Heroes” – metro station “Livoberezhna,” Klitschko wrote in his telegram channel.
He emphasized that the Podilsko-Voskresenskyi bridge crossing is the largest of the transport infrastructure facilities in Kyiv and Ukraine: its length is more than 10 km.
“A few years ago, we planned and promised to ensure passenger traffic as the first stage of the facility’s launch. And today, it has finally happened! To all the skeptics and those who tried to block the work at the facility, I will say one thing: now look for other reasons for your manipulations,” the mayor added.
