The general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on September 25 supported the appointment of Rafael Grossi as the agency’s director general for the next four years, namely from the beginning of December 2023.
According to the board’s decision at the 67th session of the general conference in Vienna, the conference particularly recognized Grossi’s efforts to ensure nuclear safety in Ukraine.
“I am honored to have been appointed by unanimous decision of the board to serve another term in office, and I am very grateful for the trust that member countries continue to place in me as chairman of this truly remarkable organization,” Grossi said.
He said, “This comes at a time when we face many serious challenges, and I am fully committed to continuing to do everything in my power to fulfill the IAEA’s important mission in support of global peace and development.”
In January-August 2023, Ruta, a major Ukrainian manufacturer of sanitary and hygienic paper products, whose management company is VGP JSC (Lutsk), produced UAH 1 billion 086.4 million worth of products, which is 97.1% more than in the same period in 2022.
According to UkrPapir’s statistics provided to Interfax-Ukraine, the company has thus slightly accelerated the growth rate of production in monetary terms compared to the same period last year: in seven months, the figure was 96.7%, and in six months – 95.7%.
In terms of volume, the production of toilet paper in rolls increased 1.5 times, exceeding 89 million units, which is still the third best result in the industry after Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill (165 million units) and Kokhava Paper Mill (90.4 million units).
VGP’s brand portfolio includes napkins, toilet paper, paper handkerchiefs, and kitchen towels under the Ruta, Ruta Selecta, Fesko, Nosovic, Polotenechko, 100% paper, Servetta, and Ecolo brands. The assortment includes more than 189 items.
As reported with reference to Ukrpapir’s data, in 2022, VGP JSC produced products worth UAH 977.61 million, which is 2.8% more than a year earlier. At the same time, according to the company’s report, in physical terms (tons), production decreased by 27% due to the loss of some markets with the beginning of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine.
Exports accounted for more than a quarter of sales in 2022. The paper used as the basis for production was purchased mainly from producers in Turkey and Romania.
Insurance company ARX (Kiev) has introduced a new hull insurance program “Iron Dome”, covering damage or total loss of cars from missiles, drones and ammunition, debris of buildings, according to the press release of the insurer.
Under this program, cars up to 15 years old, costing up to UAH 5 million, are subject to insurance. Such risks as damage or total loss of the vehicle due to direct or indirect impact of any types of missiles and UAVs on the conditionally safe territory of Ukraine (according to the list of the Ministry of Reintegration in force on the date of the event), or damage from debris in case of hitting buildings are covered.
The deductible is 10% of the sum insured. The insurance terms are three and six months, as well as one year.
The insurance tariff depends on the insurance term: 3 months – 1%, 6 months – 1.5%, 1 year – 2%
At the same time, the program is a completely stand-alone product, which can be purchased without the main hull insurance in ARX or another insurance company. Review of the car (with photography and video fixation) can be done without visiting the office – online, through the mobile application MyARX.
ARX daily pays out to customers a total of about UAH 4.7 million on insured events.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, for six months of 2023 the company occupies the first positions in the Ukrainian market on all key indicators.
IC “ARX” has been working in the insurance market for 26 years. According to the company’s data, it is the leader of CASCO insurance for the 13th consecutive year. It took the first place among insurers of Ukraine on the size of net insurance premiums and net insurance indemnities for 2021. It is a part of the international insurance holding Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (Canada).
State-owned Oschadbank quadrupled its net profit in January-August this year compared to the same period in 2022 – from UAH 2.3 billion to more than UAH 9.4 billion, including a net profit of UAH 1.2 billion in August.
“The final financial result was also affected by the revaluation of financial instruments in the securities portfolio: it added about UAH 1.5 billion to the total profit,” the press service of the financial institution told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.
The state-owned bank notes an improvement in all key financial indicators. In particular, its net interest income increased by 39% to UAH 12.1 billion compared to the figures for 8 months of 2022, and net commission income by 30% to UAH 4.4 billion.
Operating profit amounted to UAH 7.8 billion, which is more than twice as much as in the same period last year.
In addition, as noted in the press service, Oschad has sufficient liquidity and capital at its disposal.
According to the information provided, the regulatory capital adequacy ratio of the financial institution as of September 1 this year amounted to 18.48%, while the established standard of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) is 10%.
At the same time, the bank has so far refrained from forecasting its financial results for this year.
According to the NBU, as of July 1, 2023, Oschadbank ranked 2nd in terms of assets (UAH 324.74 billion) among 64 banks operating in the country, and first in terms of the number of branches in the country (1183).
Dynamics of changes in discount rate of NBU – from 2013 to June 2023
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
In January-August 2023, Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) renewed 854.3 km of tracks with various types of repairs, which is 22% more than in the same period in 2022, the company’s press service said on Monday.
According to the release, in January-August 2023, 217.4 km of track was overhauled with new materials, which is 55% more than in the same period last year, while 119.4 km of track was restored using suitable materials that were already available.
“The average repair was carried out on 517.5 km of track, which is 17% more than in the same period in 2022,” UZ said.
In addition, Ukrzaliznytsia overhauled 104 sets of turnouts with new materials and overhauled 67 sets with existing materials. A total of 440 sets of switches were overhauled.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers allowed Ukrzaliznytsia to use EUR 100 million for urgent needs from the balance of the EUR 150 million loan from the European Investment Bank approved in 2016, which was originally planned to be used for the construction of a second track, electrification and modernization of signaling and communication systems on the Dolynska-Mykolaiv-Kolosivka route.
