On June 11 and 12, the German government, in partnership with the government of Ukraine, will host the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024) with the aim of supporting Ukraine’s economic and social recovery from Russia’s war of aggression.
On the day before URC2024 begins, GMF will convene 200 representatives from Ukraine’s municipalities, cities, and regions, as well as civil society actors, philanthropists, and business and media representatives from Ukraine and its partner countries to explore the local dimension of reconstruction, recovery and reform. Under the theme All Reconstruction is Local, the pre-conference aims to investigate the following questions: What are the benefits and limitations of city and state twinning as well as regional cooperation models? How can improved cooperation be fostered between national and local reconstruction plans rather than competition? What are the human capital and project management needs at the local level? How will access to finance and insurance be distributed at the local level? How can EU regulations, sustainability and the highest transparency standards be ensured locally?
The agenda will feature discussions looking at concrete partnership models aiming to support Ukrainian cities and regions but will also dive deeper into specific policy areas including rebuilding the local energy sector, anti-corruption efforts and the question of local ownership vs. wartime centralization. Speakers at the event will include both policy makers from the United States, Europe, and Ukraine, as well as civil society and private sector representatives. Some of the sessions of the event will be live-streamed and therefore also available to an online audience, while other sessions will take place under Chatham House rules to enable an open and honest discussion among participants.
https://www.gmfus.org/all-reconstruction-local-forum-eve-ukraine-recovery-conference
In May 2024, Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) increased passenger traffic by 21% compared to the same period in 2023, to 2.4 million passengers, the UZ press service reported on Telegram on Tuesday.
According to the report, domestic traffic increased by 22% last month to 2.2 million passengers, and international traffic by 21% to 200 thousand passengers.
The leader of growth in domestic traffic in May was the Kyiv – Chop route, which grew by 221%. This was the result of the development of Chop station as a transfer hub between domestic and international trains, in particular the opening of an alternative travel option to Budapest and Vienna after the launch of trains 367/745 Lutsk/Kyiv-Chop and 143/146 Chop-Vienna in December 2023, UZ said.
In addition, the Mykolaiv-Kyiv and Kyiv-Mykolaiv routes showed an increase of 52% and 66%, respectively. High demand was also observed on the routes Kyiv-Khmelnytsky-Kyiv, Kyiv-Helm-Kyiv, Kyiv-Vinnytsia-Kyiv.
Earlier it was reported that from the beginning of the year to mid-May, UZ increased international passenger traffic by 27.7% to almost 800 thousand passengers and expects further growth in the summer months.
The number of clients of IC “Express Insurance” on compulsory insurance of motor liability of owners of land vehicles (MTPL) in January-April 2024 increased by 3.2 times, the insurer’s website reports.
It is noted that this is the largest indicator in the market of MTPL insurance in Ukraine for this period.
Payments of the company on MTPL, victims of road accidents for this period, increased in 2,2 times and amounted to almost 19,4 million UAH. The average amount of damage, which was paid out by IC Express Insurance during this period, exceeded by 2% the similar indicator in the market and amounted to UAH 37,4 th.
The company also notes that as the number of clients increases, it accelerates the process of settlement of insurance events. According to the results of April 2024, the average number of days from the date of application to the date of payment in IC “Express Insurance” decreased to 29,6 days against 43,5 days in April 2023.
ALC “Express Insurance” was founded in 2008 with participation of the leader of the Ukrainian automobile market – corporation “UkrAVTO”. The company specializes in automobile insurance.
Since April 2012 IC “Express Insurance” is an associated member of the Motor Transport Insurance Bureau of Ukraine.
The area under sugar beet has increased by almost 20% to 250 thousand hectares during the war, which has become a good diversification option for farmers who have switched from growing grain to this crop, said Yana Kavushevska, acting chairman of the board of the National Association of Sugar Producers Ukrtsukor.
“During the war, the industry demonstrated resilience and became an island of salvation for some farmers who managed to switch from growing grain to sugar beet in time,” she said at Grain Ukraine in Kyiv.
According to Kavushevska, in 2020, 216 thou hectares were planted with sugar beet in Ukraine. However, for two years in a row, the country has been allocating 250 thou hectares for this crop, which indicates an increase of almost 20%. This is due to the areas planted by independent farmers and agricultural companies that have made a conscious choice in favor of sugar beet and saw it as a profit opportunity.
The acting chairman of the board of Ukrtsukor explained the success of the industry by the favorable situation on the world market, where sugar prices have been among the highest since 2006. In addition, it was easier for Ukrainian producers to export sugar than grain.
“There were logistical problems. Of course, sugar producers, like grain producers, are interested in keeping the ports of Greater Odesa open and working properly. But exports by land were also quite active,” she stated.
Another positive factor for the revitalization of the Ukrainian sugar industry, according to the representative of the industry association, is duty-free trade with the EU, which Ukrainian producers have actively used and increased exports.
Speaking about the imposition of restrictions on Ukrainian sugar by the EU, Kavushevska noted that Ukrainian producers have resumed exporting sugar not only to the EU, but also to the Black Sea and West Africa.
“As of May, Ukraine exported 65% of sugar to the European Union, and 35% went to countries where our sugar is also in demand. In fact, in May, Ukraine set a record for monthly sugar exports: within 30 days, we exported 108 thousand tons of sugar,” the representative of the association emphasized.
Ms. Kavushevska also noted that sugar prices are currently being corrected on the global market. She admitted that the financial results for Ukrainian producers may not be as good as before. However, for the third year in a row, sugar beet will remain among the top three most profitable crops for Ukrainian farmers, which is a good alternative to grain.
The head of Ukrtsukr also emphasized the importance of cooperation with specialized European sugar producer associations, pointed out the need to integrate Ukrainian products into the EU and reminded that the industry counts on the support of the state and its trade representatives who will negotiate the revision of autonomous trade measures and the association agreement.
Forecast of unemployment rate in Ukraine according to methodology of international labor organization until 2025
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Central Mining and Processing Plant (CMP, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovska oblast), a member of Metinvest Group, has overhauled the classification building of its crushing plant as part of its investment program.
According to the press release, Metinvest allocated UAH 2.4 million for the project.
It is noted that the plant continues to carry out systematic repairs to ensure uninterrupted production and avoid downtime.
It is also explained that the equipment of the classification building is a reloading unit for the transportation of dry magnetic separation tailings. The equipment includes a screen and a classifier that washes dirt from the tailings. The process produces clean crushed stone that is used in the construction of roads and railways.
In addition, it is specified that the stairs, walkways, and platforms of this area are constantly exposed to aggressive environments and interact with water, so the structures need to be updated in a timely manner.
The overhaul of the classification area took four months. The key works included strengthening the load-bearing structures of columns and beams, replacing the metal structures of equipment maintenance areas (screens, conveyors), as well as the metal structures of the fence and sump. The metal structures were also given anti-corrosion protection.
“The work performed has significantly increased the level of safety for employees, minimizing the risk of injury, and ensured the stability of the classification equipment,” said Alexander Ivashura, head of the crushing plant at the Central GOK.
Central GOK is one of the five largest producers of mining raw materials in Ukraine. It specializes in the extraction and production of iron ore concentrate and pellets.
CGOK is a part of Metinvest Group, whose major shareholders are System Capital Management (SCM, Donetsk) (71.24%) and Smart Holding Group (23.76%).
Metinvest Group’s management company is Metinvest Holding LLC.
