Novus Ukraine LLC (Kyiv), which manages the Novus hyper- and supermarket chain and is part of the Lithuanian investment group BT Invest, plans to open eight to ten new stores in Ukraine in 2020.
“We plan to open eight to ten stores this year,” Ihor Landa, the director general of BT Invest Ukraine, told Interfax-Ukraine.
During a speech at EBA Global Outlook: Boosting Investments, he noted that the expansion of the network is currently limited exclusively to Kyiv and Kyiv region.
“We invest only in Kyiv and Kyiv region. This is due to the fact that here purchasing power is still quite high. In addition, there is migration here from different cities,” he said.
At the same time, he added that in addition to migration to the capital and cities with the population exceeding one million people, a significant migration abroad creates problems with finding and recruiting staff. Thus, about 750 vacancies have now formed in Novus.
In addition, due to the increase in rental rates in the market, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the retailer to find suitable premises for opening a new store.
The Sikorsky Kyiv international airport serviced 178,800 passengers in January 2020, which is 20.4% less than in January 2019.
According to the airport’s website, the number of passengers serviced on international flights amounted to 176,900, on domestic – 1,900.
The number of flights (arrivals and departures) in January 2020 amounted to 1,838, which is 19.5% less than the same period in 2019, of which international flights – 1,629, and domestic – 209.
The following international destinations were most popular for the indicated period: Minsk (Belarus), Warsaw (Poland), Vienna (Austria), Berlin (Germany), Memmingen (Germany), Frankfurt am Main (Germany), and Budapest (Hungary). Zaporizhia was the most popular among destinations inside Ukraine.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk states that the idea of jointly hosting the Olympic Games with Belarus deserves in-depth study.
“In my opinion, this idea definitely deserves in-depth study. The government is now working to study this situation from different points of view and offer a concept to our partners if this initiative can be implemented in the near future,” Honcharuk said at a meeting of the organizing committee for preparation and participation of Ukrainian athletes in the Games of the ХХХII Olympic Games and the XVI Paralympic Games 2020 in Tokyo (Japan).
According to Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of Ukraine Volodymyr Borodiansky, traditionally preparations for such large-scale sporting events are conducted during 5-10 years.
“We propose, in order to determine the possibility of creating a joint holding of such games with the Republic of Belarus, to study in detail the resources we have, the experience of Belarus, the experience of other countries in preparation,” he added.
Borodiansky invited the national Olympic committees to create a joint working group to study such opportunities.
As reported, in September 2019, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stated that the republic could hold the Olympic Games together with the Russian Federation or Ukraine. “Of course, it’s difficult for us to compete with the giants, but we can hold the Olympics, for example, with the Ukrainians or the Russians,” he said.
The introduction of duties on import of diesel fuel and liquefied gas of Russian production will cause price increases, weaken competition in the market and will not solve the problems of Ukrainian oil refineries, according to A-95 Consulting Group.
According to a press release, the group came to such conclusions following a study of complaints by Ukrainian fuel producers represented by PJSC Ukrtatnafta, PJSC Ukrnafta and JSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia to the Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade, in which they asked for an anti-subsidiary investigation and introduce duties on Russian diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas in the amount of 8.46% with an increase to 25.4% over five years.
“The main argument of manufacturers is dumping by Russian exporters, which is not true. Imported petroleum products, including Russian ones, are sold to Ukraine with premiums to the world quotes. So, for 2020 Ukrainian companies signed contracts for Russian diesel fuel with a premium to European quotes of up to $35/tonne, for liquefied gas of up to $22/tonne. This is due to the fact that Ukraine remains import dependent: in 2019, imports of diesel fuel accounted for 88% in the national balance, liquefied gas for 78.5%,” A-95 said.
According to the group, the most critical consequences of duties will be felt by the diesel market, which accounts for 70% in the basket of motor fuels. If the proposed duty is introduced at 8.46%, imports from Russia may cease completely, which will increase pressure on the remaining sources of supply, primarily Belarus, whose share will grow from the current 35% to 60% of the market. At the same time, the capabilities of Ukrainian producers are limited by a twofold increase in processing, which in the best case will allow raising the market weight from 12% to 25%.
The change of head of the President’s Office of Ukraine in no way affects the political course of the state. “There are important reforms ahead, and this is precisely what the team of Volodymyr Zelensky is focusing on,” the President’s Office commented on its Facebook page. At the President’s Office, they thanked Andriy Bohdan, its previous head, for his work, who had resigned.
“From today, the Office of the President of Ukraine is headed by Andriy Yermak. The previous leader, Andriy Bohdan, has resigned. The President’s Office is grateful for his work during these months. The President’s Office is confident that Andriy Yermak will cope with the responsibility entrusted to him,” a statement says.
Ukraine must refuse road patching repairs, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated. “Patching repairs should be a thing of the past,” he said during a press conference on road repairs in Kyiv. According to the president, the construction and overhauls of roads should account for about 80% of all road works.
Zelensky also emphasized the importance of providing guarantees for all road construction works so that “asphalt does not disappear with snow.”
“We must build in order to destroy. To break the stereotype that Ukraine and good roads are not compatible concepts,” Zelensky said.
At the same time, the president noted that at present only 15 regions of the country had approved the list of road construction and repairs.
“We expect that local authorities will intensify their work and approve the list of construction and repair of roads. Today only 15 regions have done so … And three regions have not passed the list at all (Lviv, Zakarpattia and Sumy regions),” he said.
Zelensky also recalled that the plans for 2020 are to upgrade 4,000 km of state roads.
The government also plans in 2020 to build 2,500 km of local roads, for which UAH 22.2 billion will be allocated, or 70% more than was used last year. In general, this will allow creating about 12,000 new jobs.
