JSC Ukrposhta plans to attract a loan of EUR100 million for the construction of new sorting centers.
“We are now waiting for the finalization of a loan in the amount of EUR100 million over the next two or four months. These funds will be used to design new terminals and launch mobile branches,” Igor Smelyansky, the director general of the company, said at a meeting with reporters in Kyiv.
The company later told Interfax-Ukraine the funds raised are to be spent on the design and construction of three or four terminals, as well as on automation of about 30 depots.
According to him, the funds will be raised on market conditions, international financial organizations will become donors.
As reported, Ukrposhta plans to launch mobile branches in five regions in 2020, and plans to reach more than UAH 1 billion in profit by 2024.
Donetsk Shakhtar FC has beaten German Wolfsburg with a score 2:1 away in the first match of the 1/8 finals of the UEFA Europa League. The match was held without spectators in connection with the epidemic of COVID-19 coronavirus in the world.
In the 17th minute, the score was opened by forward of the national team of Ukraine Junior Moraes. Five minutes later, the national team of Ukraine was able to follow up on their success, but Viktor Kovalenko did not convert a penalty. At the very end of the first half, the penalty was not converted by forward of Wolfsburg, Waut Weghorst.
In the debut of the second half, defender of the German team John Brooks equalized the score. And in the 73rd minute, Brazilian midfielder Marcos Antonio again brought the guests ahead and eventually brought Shakhtar a victory.
The return match, according to the competition calendar, was supposed to be held in Kharkiv on March 19, but its holding, like the rest of the matches of European football tournaments, is now up in the air because of the situation with COVID-19 coronavirus.
The French government has allocated technical assistance to the Ukrainian state concern Ukroboronprom in the amount of about EUR 900,000 Aivaras Abromavičius, director general of the state concern, has said.
“This is a sign of confidence in Ukraine, it is a sign of confidence in the changes that are taking place now in the Ukroboronprom concern … This is an amount close to EUR 900,000, one of the largest amounts that the French government has allocated to Ukraine,” he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.
According to Abromavičius, this assistance will be used to fight corruption and raise corporate governance standards.
“France’s technical assistance will be directed in two main areas. This is, firstly, the anti-corruption area, and secondly, the improvement of corporate governance standards. In the area of anti-corruption policy, we plan to carry out a comprehensive criminalistics, so-called forensic, audit on some processes, contracts, which, unfortunately, the financial audit does not have the opportunity to reach,” he said.
He said that the forensic audit reveals hidden schemes and frauds that look like legitimate transactions, but are actually fraudulent, and there have been a lot historically in the concern.
Abromavičius stressed that the allocated funds would help build the best corporate governance standards in Ukroboronprom, according to Western standards.
“Within the project, we plan to develop new principles of corporate governance both at enterprises and at the concern itself. This is a large-scale project that requires time, which requires not only our efforts, but, as I said, the support of international partners. Branches of government will be involved, as well as Ukroboronprom partners themselves,” he added.
Abromavičius said that the French Embassy in Ukraine would choose a consultant company from the Big Four, and it will help find the best model for organizing a business.
“That is, we are starting to build a modern company,” he stressed.
According to Abromavičius, the forensic audit process should take four months.
“But, unfortunately, this information will be more for the leadership of the country, for the leadership of Ukroboronprom and for law enforcement agencies,” he said.
National bank of Ukraine’s official rates as of 13/03/20
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
EU4Energy has launched a project of technical assistance for Ukraine to implement EU Regulation 347/2013 for the development of energy infrastructure, according to the website of the Energy Community Secretariat.
“On March 10, EU4Energy launched a technical assistance project to assist Ukraine in the transposition of Regulation (EU) 347/2013, which aims to facilitate investments in energy infrastructure,” the report on the website of the agency reads.
“Representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Environment Protection of Ukraine and Energy Community Secretariat experts discussed ways to put the new project in motion. The draft legislation will be developed with EU4Energy assistance by the end of April 2020 and is to rely on the findings of the legal analysis of the current regulatory framework of Ukraine developed by the Secretariat’s experts in 2019,” according to the document.
“The Regulation prescribes establishing a national competent authority, setting procedures for the permitting process and defining the methodology and criteria to be used for evaluating investment in electricity and gas projects and the risks incurred by them,” it says.