Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

UKRAINE’S PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURERS DEMAND TO RESOLVE NUMBER OF ISSUES ON NATIONAL LIST OF MEDICINES

Ukrainian pharmaceutical manufacturers have noted the need to resolve a number of issues related to the filling and application of the national list of essential medicines. Marketing and Sales Director of PJSC Farmak Susana Khalilova noted at present market participants do not have clear understanding of whether there will be the expansion of nosologies, according to which international nonproprietary names (INN) are included in the list, as well as the expansion of the number of molecules on the nosologies already included in the list.
“Currently we have the opportunity to apply for molecules, but we do not understand how we can justify the introduction [of drugs] for new nosologies, for example such as infertility, diabetes insipidus,” she said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine. Khalilova also emphasized the need to return the Fast Track procedure and simplify the introduction of changes regarding INN included in the list.
Commenting on the problem of applying the updated list at the local level, in particular the norm on 100% compulsory provision with drugs from it, she noted the difficulty of “how the coverage of this 100% need can be showed.”
Head of InterChem-Pharma Trading House Oleksandr Chumak, in turn, expressed the opinion about the need to approve such an edition of the list that would allow the Ukrainian market to plan its production.

, ,

PRIME MINISTER GROYSMAN GETS UAH 17 MLN INCOME IN 2017

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has submitted the income tax declaration for electronic filing for 2017, which in total came to over UAH 17.1 million. The department of the information and public relations of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers, total income of Groysman for 2017 was UAH 17.102 million (UAH 15.802 million in 2016).
The following income was declared: salary on the post of the prime minister – over UAH 435,647, income from leasing property (bought before 2006) – UAH 5.15 million, income from selling immovable property (a land parcel) – UAH 8.798 million and income from placing funds on bank accounts – UAH 2.719 million.

, ,

PRESIDENT POROSHENKO RECEIVES UAH 16,303,874 INCOME IN 2017 ACCORDING TO DECLARATION

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s income in 2017 has totaled UAH 16,303,874, of which 18% were returned to the state in the form of personal income tax levied on the wages and the deposits, and 1.5% in military tax. “The total amount of income received by Petro Poroshenko in 2017 is UAH 16,303,874, of them UAH 336,000 is salary, which the head of state annually remits to charity, and a total of UAH 15,795,874 in interest on deposits. These and other data can be found in the electronic declaration of Petro Poroshenko for 2017, which will appear in the public domain today,” according to the press release posted on the president’s website on Friday. The amount of funds on Poroshenko’s bank accounts have decreased over a year by $430,000.
According to the law, the president declared the expenses for the previous year – including the funds that were spent on vacation. This money was officially transferred in non-cash form from previously declared own accounts in compliance with the banking and tax legislation of Ukraine.
The report says that the amount of declared vacation expenses is half the figure that appeared in the media. “Not a penny was spent from the state budget,” the press service assured.
Last year, Poroshenko did not receive dividends from enterprises, whose ultimate beneficiary he is.

,

LIFECELL LAUNCHES 4G COMMUNICATIONS IN 24 CITIES OF UKRAINE

The mobile operator lifecell has begun to provide 4G (LTE) communication services in 22 regional centers, as well as Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk, while 3G + and 4.5G traffic will be charged the same way, the operator said on Friday.
“In one third of the cities, namely in Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Severodonetsk and Kramatorsk, lifecell is the only operator that started to provide 4G communication services,” the operator said in a press release.
According to the operator, 49% of smartphones in the lifecell network support LTE technology.
4G mobile services will be provided using LTE Advanced Pro (4.5G) technology, which provides up to five times faster download speed, up to 10 times faster upload speed, as well as instant reaction of websites and applications in comparison with 3G.
To use a next generation connection, a subscriber needs to have a SIM-card with support for the 4G/LTE standard (USIM-card) and a smartphone supporting at least 4G/LTE.
“The USIM card not only supports the 4G (LTE) standard, but it also has other advantages: higher security and additional options. The main difference is larger memory, and the USIM address book can store up to 500 contacts with extended data: several contact phone numbers and an e-mail address,” the press service of the operator said.
The operator lifecell also does not plan to set a separate tariff for 4G traffic.
“3G+ and 4.5G traffic will be charged the same way. The subscribers will choose which technology to use in the phone’s settings,” the press release said.
The second wave of 4.5G deployments from lifecell in the 1800 MHz band is expected in July 2018.

, ,

AB INBEV AND EFES FINALIZE MERGER IN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA

The world’s largest brewing group, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) and leading Turkish brewer Anadolu Efes have completed the 50-50 merger of their businesses in Russia and Ukraine, AB InBev said in a press release.
The board of directors of the merged AB InBev Efes will consist of an equal number of representatives from both companies. The chairman of the will be Tuncay Ozilhan, chairman of Anadolu Group and Anadolu Efes.
The management team will work under the leadership of Dmitry Shpakov, president of AB InBev in Russia and Ukraine, who will become president of AB InBev Efes. Roy Cornish, the head of Moscow Efes Brewery, will become chief financial officer.
The merged company will have a production network of 11 breweries and three malthouses in Russia, as well as three breweries in Ukraine.
The AB InBev Efes brand portfolio will include both international and local brands: Spaten, Corona Extra, BUD, Velkopopovicky Kozel, Miller Genuine Draft, Hoegaarden, Stary Melnik iz Bochonka, Klinskoye and Bely Medved.
The companies are confident that the combination of their businesses and expertise, diversified brand portfolio and the wide selection of beer that they offer consumers will enable the merged company to ensure growth and take leading positions on the Russian and Ukrainian markets, Shpakov was cited as saying in the press release.
The results of the merged company will be consolidated in the financial statement of Anadolu Efes. AB InBev will not include the results in its global reporting, but will take into account earned profit as a return on investment in the joint venture in line with the size of its equity interest.

, ,

PRESIDENT SIGNS BILL DEREGULATING LICENSE ISSUE IN OIL AND GAS SPHERE

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a bill deregulating the license issue in the oil and gas production sphere.
According to a posting on the website of the Verkhovna Rada, the signed document was returned to the parliament on March 29.
The law permits the use of the servitude tool for the construction of oil and gas production facilities and pipelines (without changing the purpose of land use).
In addition, the need to obtain a patented mining claim is eliminated. Oil and gas production facilities are removed from the list of facilities of town-planning activity. The obligatory introduction of deposits to research, industrial and commercial development is canceled by the decision of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry.
The document gives the right to oil and gas producers after the completion of the period of research and industrial development of deposits to use land parcels on the basis of an agreement with the owner of the land parcels until the purpose of land use is changed and documents for the right to use land are registered (now companies are obliged to stop production for the period of processing documents).
The removal and transfer of soil for further drilling can be carried out without special permission on the basis of a detailed land management project.
The law grants deposit users the right to use their geological information without agreeing them with authorities. In addition, it is proposed to expand the range of entities that can conduct a geological and economic assessment of oil and gas reserves (now this right is owned exclusively by the State Commission of Ukraine for Mineral Reserves).
As reported, the Verkhovna Rada adopted on March 1 at the second reading and in general bill No. 3096-d, which deregulates the license issue in the oil and gas production sphere.

, , ,