The United States House of Representatives has voted to increase the amount of financial assistance to Ukraine. American parliamentarians also supported amendments to the sanctions against Nord Stream 2, the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States said on Facebook.
“According to the bill, the total amount of funds to be allocated for the implementation of assistance programs to Ukraine through the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development and related programs is at least $481.5 million, which is $28.5 million more than this year,” the report says.
Of this estimate, $125 million will be allocated as assistance to Ukraine for security-related purposes, under the article “International military financing,” which is $10 million more than in 2021.
To enter into force, the bill must be agreed and approved by the U.S. Senate and signed by U.S. President Joe Biden.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, JOE BIDEN, NORD STREAM-2, UNITED STATES, UNITED STATES HOUSE
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law restoring the value added tax (VAT) rate for part of agricultural products from 14% to 20%, the specified tax rate reduction was in effect from March 1, 2021 to July 30, 2021.
According to data on the website of the Verkhovna Rada, the law on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine regarding the rate of value added tax in taxation of transactions for the supply of certain types of agricultural products under No. 1600-IX (bill No. 5425-d) was signed on July 29.
According to the data on the website of the President’s Office, the law is intended to reduce the risks from higher food prices, as well as to create equal conditions for VAT taxation for agricultural producers and processing industry enterprises. The document comes into force on July 30 and applies to tax periods starting from August 2021.
As reported, on July 1, 2021, the parliament returned the VAT rate on livestock products, rye, oats, flax seeds and sugar beets to 20% from the previously reduced one 14%.
The 20% rate will again apply to products with economic activity codes 0102 (live cattle), 0103 (live pigs), 0104 10 (live sheep), 0401 (in terms of whole milk), 1002 (rye), 1004 (oats), 1204 00 (flax seeds), 1207 (seeds and fruits of other oilseeds), 1212 91 (sugar beets).
At the same time, with respect to other grains and oilseeds, the VAT rate is 14%. In particular, the matter concerns goods with codes 1001 (wheat and meslin), 1003 (barley), 1005 (corn), 1201 (soybeans), 1205 (rape seeds) and 1206 00 (sunflower seeds).
Earlier, a number of associations and food industry enterprises asked the president to veto bill No. 3656, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in December 2020 and reducing the VAT rate on some agricultural raw materials to 14%, since its action entails an increase in the cost of food products by 3-4% and a decrease in the profitability of processing enterprises by 50-70%.
On Tuesday, August 3, at 10.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled “Importance of city’s long-term strategy in urbanization era: Odesa example.” Participants include futurologist, founder of the Center for Economic Recovery Andriy Dlihach, Odesa entrepreneur, founder of Odesa Business Club Dmytro Kavzachynsky, Head of the Association of Sustainable Development Leaders Olena Zubareva (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Due to quarantine restrictions, the number of seats in the press center is limited. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS IN THE ECONOMY OF UKRAINE IN 2020 (OPERATIONS, $ MILLION)
ECONOMY, ECONOMY OF UKRAINE, FOREIGN DIRECT, FOREIGN INVESTMENT
A sports cluster will be created at the Expocenter of Ukraine National Complex in Kyiv within the framework of the Big Construction and Healthy Ukraine presidential programs, which will occupy 22 hectares of territory, Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said on Facebook following the presentation of the project concept.
According to him, this year the project will be implemented on 11 hectares.
Tymoshenko noted that the concept of the future cluster was developed by Big City Lab, a company for the transformation of urban spaces, together with the Lithuanian urbanist Tadas Jonauskis. At the same time, a special emphasis during the design of the cluster was placed on the creation of a barrier-free space.
“The infrastructure of the future cluster includes jogging and cycling paths with professional coverage, locations for TRX, crossfit, yoga and fitness classes, equipped areas with exercise machines for strength and cardio training, tennis tables, a swimming pool with a trampoline, basketball and football grounds, a climbing wall, a concrete skatepark and much more,” he said.
The first open area of the future sports cluster will be an urban park, which will begin accepting visitors this summer.
“The space of the urban park will be intended, first of all, for active pursuit of street cultures, for battles and jams, for the implementation of sports projects and media events,” Tymoshenko explained.
According to him, an important part will also be a space called Street Culture Hub, which will bring together a community of street cultures from different cities and famous athletes, artists and teams.
“In the future, the president sets the task of creating such cool sports facilities in every region. Sports and health are becoming a new trend in Ukraine,” Tymoshenko stressed.
Earlier, the deputy head of the President’s Office said that within the framework of the Healthy Ukraine program, it is planned to create 873 “active parks” and modern sports grounds with free access for everyone in various localities of the country.
The Ukrainian industrial company Interpipe is increasing the volume of deliveries of premium products and expanding the list of countries where they are used, according to the company’s Facebook page.
At the same time, it is noted that pipes with premium sleeveless UPJ-F connection are successfully operated in Uzbekistan.
“At the beginning of the year, we talked about the supply of pipes with a sleeveless joint of our own design UPJ-F to our permanent partner, Uzbekneftegaz. In the second quarter, such casing pipes of two diameters – 139.7 mm and 193.7 mm – were successfully run, showed high performance and received positive feedback from the client,” the report says.
The press release specifies that Ukrainian pipes with UPJ-F are used to produce gas in difficult geological conditions. The absence of a sleeve makes it easier to run pipes in wells with complex profiles or in horizontal sections. This connection expands the capabilities of customers in the field of well building, accelerates drilling and guarantees the highest level of gas tightness.
Interpipe is a Ukrainian industrial company, a manufacturer of seamless pipes and railway wheels. The company’s products are supplied to more than 80 countries around the world through a network of sales offices located in the key markets of the CIS, the Middle East, North America and Europe. In 2020, Interpipe sold 662,000 tonnes of finished products, including 192,000 tonnes of railway products. Railway products are sold under the KLW brand.
Interpipe employs 11,000 people. In 2020, the company transferred UAH 2.54 billion to the budgets of all levels.
