The total number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in more than 60 countries has exceeded 10 thousand cases, European media reported on Thursday, citing WHO.
It is noted that the largest number of cases of this disease occurs in Europe.
The WHO emergency committee is expected to meet next Thursday, July 21, to discuss measures to combat the spread of monkeypox.
In addition, the committee at the meeting is expected to decide on the classification of the outbreak, in particular whether the spread of monkeypox is a public health emergency.
The head of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has repeatedly expressed concern about the situation with the spread of monkeypox, called for “work to stop the transmission of the disease,” and recommended that governments of different countries carry out contact tracing of the sick.
Monkeypox is a rare infectious disease most prevalent in remote areas of Central and West Africa. Its symptoms are nausea, fever, rash, itching, and muscle pain. Earlier, the Club of Experts analyzed the situation, the experts gave their comments and forecasts regarding this disease. For more details, see the video material on YouTube channel Club of Experts:
In the first half of 2022, the State Customs Service allowed 56.9 million tonnes of goods (excluding pipeline transport) to be exported through the customs border of Ukraine, which is 44.5% less than in the first half of last year (101.1 million tonnes).
According to service’s website, the import of goods to Ukraine fell even more by 58.3%, to 17.8 million tonnes (from 42.7 million tonnes).
During the reporting period, pipelines moved 19.9 million tonnes, which is almost a third less than in the first half of 2021 (29.5 million tonnes).
The main reason for the drop in tonnage is the war and seaports blocked by Russia: the number of sea vessels allowed by the State Customs Service in January-June decreased by 64.3%, to 2,700 (from 7,600).
According to the ministry, the number of railway cars passed through the customs border of Ukraine in the first half of 2022 amounted to 800,300, which is 32% less than in the first half of 2021.
At the same time, the number of river vessels increased by 54.4%, from 6,800 to 10,500, and vehicles – by 9.8%, to 3.635 million.
The number of registered vehicles for import in the first half of the year amounted to 2.2 million, for export – 2.3 million, which almost corresponds to last year’s figures – 2.3 million each.
The State Customs Service also noted that the monetary turnover in the first half of 2022 decreased by 21%, to $48.03 billion, including exports by 24%, to $22.73 billion, and imports by 19%, to $25.3 billion.
At the same time, trade with the EU increased by 1%, to UAH 25.06 billion, including exports by 13%, to $13.41 billion, while imports decreased by 10%, to $11.65 billion.
In January-June of the current year, the enterprises of the Ukrtruboprom association, according to recent data, reduced production of pipes by 27.1% compared to the same period last year, to 226,900 tonnes.
According to a press release from the association on Wednesday, in January, Ukrtruboprom enterprises increased production of pipes by 2.2 times compared to the same period last year, to 61,300 tonnes, and in February by 16.2%, to 49,000 tonnes, but production has been declining since March.
So, in March, production of pipes amounted to 3,500 tonnes (5.9% compared to March 2021), in April – 18,500 tonnes (32.1% compared to March 2021), in May – 51,400 tonnes (86.5%), and in June – 43,200 tonnes (64.5%).
It is specified that in general, in the first half of the year, all plants showed a negative trend. Interpipe Niko Tube and Trubostal reduced production of seamless pipes by 14% and 44.4% respectively, Centravis stainless pipes by 25%, Interpipe Novomoskovsk Pipe Plant electric-welded pipes by 37.6%.
Heorhiy Polsky, General Director of Ukrtruboprom, noted that at the beginning of the year, pipe plants were increasing their output amid favorable external market conditions, which were mainly due to the post-COVID recovery of the global economy and high hydrocarbon prices. However, the full-scale invasion of Russian troops into the territory of Ukraine led to a severe decline in production: in March, almost the entire industry stopped.
In January-June 2022, Ukraine increased its revenue from electricity exports by 1.6 times (by $61.76 million) compared to the same period in 2021, to $169.998 million, according to the State Customs Service.
According to Interfax-Ukraine estimates, over six months electricity was supplied to Slovakia for $48.968 million, Poland for $46.649 million, Hungary for $40.408 million, and other countries for $33.973 million.
In June this year, electricity export revenue amounted to $18.579 million compared to $30.263 million in June 2021.
In addition, Ukraine in January-June 2022 imported electricity for $102.115 million versus $58.598 million for the same period last year. In particular, from Belarus for $100.414 million, Slovakia for $0.873 million, Romania for $0.491 million, and other countries for $0.337 million.
In June this year, Ukraine imported electricity for $0.001 million versus $1.943 million in June 2021.
The profit of state-owned PrivatBank (Kyiv) amounted to UAH 6.3 billion in January-June 2022, which is 44.5% less than in the same period last year (UAH 11.6 billion), the bank’s press service reported on Thursday.
“We ended the first half of the year with a profit, but we are aware that a difficult period lies ahead. Today, it is impossible to foresee all the risks, but PrivatBank entered the war in excellent financial shape and is doing everything to ensure stability under martial law,” the press service quoted first deputy head of the board Anna Samarina.
According to the report, the amount of lost income during the war period is estimated by the bank at more than UAH 5.5 billion.
It is indicated that in the first six months of 2022, the bank formed UAH 6.9 billion in reserves to cover credit risks.
Also among the main expenses of the bank is the transfer of information systems to cloud architecture, despite the fact that the savings in the total budget of expenses amounted to 11%.
According to the press service, since the beginning of the year, the bank’s loan portfolio (excluding loans related to previous owners) has increased by 16%: individuals received UAH 3.5 billion, and legal entities UAH 9.1 billion.
Funds on deposits increased by UAH 61 billion, or 19% since the beginning of the year, while term deposits decreased by 12.6%, and current account balances of customers increased by 34%, or by UAH 73.8 billion.
In addition, in the first half of the year, the bank transferred more than UAH 70 million to charity for targeted assistance to the defenders of Ukraine.
The Kernel agro-industrial group plans to supply Ukraine with oil products, fertilizers and other inventory items in order to overcome the shortage of resources for agricultural production in Ukraine, Ihor Stelmaschuk, head of the Kernel commercial department, said at the Fuel for Ukraine international conference.
“Together with partners, we will be able to establish long-term systematic work in the processes of production and supply of fertilizers. And in the future we will build a powerful diversified mechanism for providing Ukraine with oil products, we will meet the fuel needs of agricultural enterprises in a planned and cyclical way,” Stelmaschuk said on the Facebook page of the agrarian group.
According to him, now Kernel is exchanging experience and ideas with key players in the global oil products market.
“We decided on the urgent problems of a resource, logistics and infrastructure nature. We assessed the risks and trends in the fuel market. The country’s future annual demand for diesel fuel is estimated at 4 million tonnes, so Ukrainian consumers need to establish cooperation with Europe right now,” Stelmaschuk stressed.
According to him, due to the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine is forced to replace 100% of the pre-war sources of supplies of oil products, which is what Kernel plans to do.
In addition, the agricultural holding is working on projects to provide the agricultural sector with mineral fertilizers, their logistics and transshipment in ports. Kernel stated that it has already signed the first contracts for the supply of fertilizers for the sowing of winter wheat and rapeseed in the autumn, which is especially important given the likely global shortage of fertilizers in autumn 2022 and spring 2023.
Before the war, Kernel ranked first in the world in production of sunflower oil (about 7% of world production) and its export (about 12%), and was also the largest producer and seller of bottled sunflower oil in Ukraine. In addition, the holding was engaged in the cultivation and trade of other agricultural products.
