Ukrainian courts are considering 443 cases on claims filed by NPC Ukrenergo against its debtors for a total principal debt of about UAH 50 billion, the company’s website reported on Friday.
At the same time, Ukrenergo called on the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission to reconsider its decisions prohibiting the application of penalties to debtors and entities that postpone payments for the company’s services.
“The Commission’s decisions deprived the company of key tools for working with debtors. In particular, the NEURC Resolution No. 332 of February 25, 2022 (clause 16) prohibits “the accrual and collection of penalties provided for by contracts concluded in accordance with the law on the electricity market between participants in this market,” NPC said.
According to the company, by its decisions, the NEURC actually allowed the debtors not to pay Ukrenergo for the services provided, primarily for transmission and dispatching, depriving them of the “punishment” for late payment and accumulation of debts.
They also noted that in July 2022, Ukrenergo officially asked the NEURC to check companies that systematically fail to pay for electricity transmission services, but as a result, it has not been able to receive payments in full from the largest debtors for more than a year.
“The reason is that the Commission ordered to postpone payment for electricity transmission services for them. In 2023, by its decision, NEURC extended the possibility of postponing payments to Ukrenergo to large debtors,” explained NPC.
As reported, two days earlier, NEURC stated that the solution to the issue of debts in the electricity market is not to set a new tariff for transmission services, as Ukrenergo insists, but to establish effective economic activity, in particular, the company’s claim work with debtors for the payment of transmission tariffs, dispatch control and services in the balancing market, whose debts amounted to UAH 48.8 billion at the end of September.
For its part, Ukrenergo said that “realizing the sensitivity of the issue of electricity cost for Ukrainian business, it has prepared and sent to the NEURC three options for changing the company’s tariffs for transmission and dispatching services.”
“To cover its debts in the electricity market, Ukrenergo attracted loans from state and international banks and issued green bonds worth UAH 45.79 billion.
As of the end of October, the company’s receivables amounted to approximately UAH 60 billion, while its payables amounted to UAH 50 billion.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree appointing Andriy Yanevsky as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Denmark.
The relevant document No. 714/2023 was published on the President’s website.
The decree comes into force on the day of its publication.
Previously, Andriy Yanevsky served as Head of the Department for Supporting the Work of the Management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
By another decree, the President of Ukraine dismissed Mykhailo Vydoinyk from the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Denmark.
The relevant decree No. 710/2023 was published on the President’s website.
The decree comes into force on the day of its publication.
Mykhailo Vydoinyk has been Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Denmark since June 25, 2018.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may soon visit Brazil.
“Zelensky may soon go to Brazil. Lula da Silva will always be welcome in Ukraine,” Kuleba said in an interview with El Economista (Mexico), La Nación (Argentina) and CNN Brazil.
When asked whether the date of Zelenskyy’s visit to Brazil was already known, the Foreign Minister said that “work is underway.”
In addition, according to the minister, after Zelenskyy’s visit to Brazil, a visit to other countries in the region may be planned.
“Argentina is included in the list because of the significant presence of Ukrainians in the country and for the humanitarian assistance it has provided us,” Kuleba said.
The minister also thanked Brazil for convening an emergency meeting as president of the Security Council after Russia’s brutal attack on the village of Groza in Kharkiv region. Thunderstorm in Kharkiv region.
He noted that the Brazilian National Security Advisor will continue to participate in consultations on the Ukrainian “peace formula.”
“A new meeting will be scheduled soon, it has already been confirmed by Brazil. This is a good sign for relations between the two countries,” Kuleba emphasized.
Brussels will continue to support Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia in carrying out pro-European reforms, according to a statement issued on Friday following the EU summit.
“The European Union will continue to work closely with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and support their reform efforts on their European path,” it said.
The statement says that the meeting also decided that Brussels will support Moldova in addressing the challenges it faces due to the events in Ukraine.
Last March, Georgia applied for EU membership, but has not yet been granted candidate status.
In February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Ukraine’s application for EU membership. In June of the same year, the EU Council granted Ukraine candidate status.
In June 2022, Moldova was also granted candidate status.
In the first nine months of this year, Ukraine reduced the turnover of dairy products by 9.7% compared to the same period last year – from $353.4 million to $318.8 million, the press service of the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine (UDEP) reported.
According to the published data, the volume of dairy exports decreased by 23.5% in monetary terms to $140.2 million compared to $183.5 in January-September 2022. The business association attributes this decline to the price factor. At the same time, imports increased by 5.2% – from $169.9 million to $178.6 million.
The UMSU noted that the export-import balance for the reporting period was negative – $38.3 million, while for the same period last year it was positive – $13.6 million.
“Of all the exported products, the positive balance was maintained in the trade of butter, as well as milk and cream, both condensed and non-condensed. Exports of other dairy products, such as fermented milk, whey, and all types of cheese, declined significantly. The situation in cheese trade is even worse. Although their exports increased slightly compared to last year, imports grew significantly more, and the balance worsened accordingly,” the association stated.
Agrarians in all regions of Ukraine harvested 63.2 mln tons of grains and oilseeds, including 43.4 mln tons of grains and 19.6 mln tons of oilseeds, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported.
According to the report, grain and leguminous crops were harvested on an area of 8849.8 thousand hectares with a yield of 49.0 c/ha.
To date, Ukraine has completed harvesting and threshing of barley from 1505 thousand hectares (101% of the plan), which yielded 5.890 million tons; wheat – from 4695 thousand hectares (101%), 22.409 million tons were harvested; peas – from 154.4 thousand hectares (103%), 398.2 thousand tons were harvested, and rapeseed – from 1396 thousand hectares (98%), 4.005 million tons of seeds were harvested.
The harvest of millet is nearing completion, with 178.4 thou tons harvested from 78.6 thou hectares (93%), and buckwheat – 205.6 thou tons harvested from 138.1 thou hectares (97%). Corn was harvested from 1947.3 thou hectares (34%), amounting to 13.320 mln tons.
In addition, other grains and pulses were harvested in the amount of 964.9 thou tons from 332.5 thou hectares.
Ukraine continues harvesting oilseeds, including sunflower – 11.074 million tons (10.211 million tons a week earlier) from 4.687 million hectares (86%), soybeans – 4.507 million tons (4.2411 million tons) from 1.729 million hectares (91%).
Sugar beet was harvested from 155.4 thou hectares (125.3 thou hectares a week earlier), which is 50% of the planned area. The harvest amounted to 7.334 million tons.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy also monitors information on crop yields, which amounted to 47.6 c/ha for wheat, 39.2 c/ha for barley, 25.8 c/ha for peas, 22.7 c/ha for millet, and 14.9 c/ha for buckwheat. The yield of corn is 68.4 c/ha, rapeseed – 28.7 c/ha, soybeans – 26.1 c/ha, sunflower – 23.6 c/ha. The yield of sugar beet is 472.1 c/ha.
At the same time, the Ministry clarified that Zaporizhzhia farmers have completed harvesting the entire crop this year.
As reported, this season’s winter wheat plantings amounted to 4166 thousand hectares (-834 thousand hectares compared to the previous season), winter barley – 536 thousand hectares (-255 thousand hectares), and rapeseed – 1374 thousand hectares (+110 thousand hectares).
According to the adjusted forecast of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in 2023, farmers will be able to harvest 79.1 mln tons of grains and oilseeds, including the following volumes: wheat – 21.7 mln tons, barley – 5.7 mln tons and corn – 28.5 mln tons. Gross production of oilseeds will reach 21.6 million tons, including 13 million tons of sunflower, 4 million tons of rapeseed, and 4.6 million tons of soybeans. The sugar beet harvest is forecast at 13.7 million tons.
