Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko expects Ukraine to be among the first 50 countries in the World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking (Doing Business).
“The head of state expressed confidence that Ukraine will achieve even better results and will be among the first 50 countries in the Doing Business rating,” the presidential press service reported on Thursday, January 25, after Poroshenko’s speech at the investor event of the Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) at the Ukraine House in Davos, where the 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum is taking place.
“In a short period of time we will be in the first 50. That is absolutely realistic,” he said.
Poroshenko noted the role of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), international financial institutions and others in supporting reforms.
“Today we had a discussion – whether the glass is half full or empty. I have a new version and I hope Mr. President [EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti] will support me – it isn’t half anymore, we already have more. And this is an important message – please, do not waste time waiting for June-July-August or autumn. This is the right time and place to be here today in the Ukraine House Davos. We are waiting for you, for investors,” he said.
In this context, he noted that much had been done to improve the investment climate.
“Ukraine is different now. You can come and we’ll show you that,” Poroshenko said.
According to him, this year more than 80 companies – world leaders requested a meeting with the Ukrainian president.
“This is a good indicator how popular Ukraine is among the investors and how confident they are about our success,” Poroshenko added.
He also provided examples of changes in Ukraine in the recent period. According to him, it was possible to achieve macro-financial stability, clean up the banking system, adopt education reform, healthcare reform, judicial and pension reforms, as well as important steps in cybersecurity and rural medicine. Poroshenko recalled that a new law on privatization had been adopted.
“When I was elected president, Ukraine didn’t have 3G connection because of corruption. Shortly, we will open the envelope for 4G connection. We have many companies ready to invest in that,” he said.
The largest mobile communications operator of Ukraine, Kyivstar, has submitted an application to participate in a tender to receive licenses to use the radio frequency spectrum of Ukraine for the introduction of IMT technology in the 1,710-1785 MHz and 1,805-1,880 MHz ranges, Kyivstar President Peter Chernyshov has said.
“I, of course, do not really like the way the frequencies were distributed. Initially, the telecom operators insisted that the three additional lots of 5 MHz that are ‘released’ as a result of the refarming, were next to the main lots or were distributed according to the generic lots principle. It allows you not to tie lots to specific frequencies, but to a winner in a separate lot to attach it to your main frequency band, getting a continuous spectrum. The regulator ‘shuffled’ lots with radio frequencies,” Chernyshov wrote.
At the same time, he said that Kyivstar will still participate in the second tender.
As reported, Ukraine schedules a tender to issue 4G communications licenses for the 1,710-1785 MHz and 1,805-1,880 MHz frequency ranges for February 26.
The opening of envelopes with price offers from mobile communications operators for the introduction of 4G connection in Ukraine will take place on January 31 this year, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.
“When I was elected president, Ukraine didn’t have 3G connection because of corruption. Shortly, we will open the envelope for 4G connection. We have many companies ready to invest in that,” he said at a meeting with investors at the Ukraine House in Davos on Thursday, January 25.
Earlier, a well-informed source told Interfax-Ukraine that the National Commission for State Regulation of Communications and Information Technology (NCCR) would schedule the tender to buy the 4G communications license for the 2,600 MHz frequency range for January 31, 2018.
BSH (Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH), one of the world’s leading companies in the field of household appliances and its largest manufacturer in Europe, has decided to withdraw the Zelmer brand, under which a number of small household appliances produced in Poland were sold in Ukraine, from the Ukrainian market.
CEO of BSH Pobutova Tekhnika LLC Serhiy Maksymov told journalists the decision was made by the concern in connection with the intention to focus on the Bosch brand in the segment of small household appliances.
“The concern made the decision last year. In this case the concentration of resources, including financial, in development sand ideas for one brand will bring more effect,” he said.
According to him, in Ukraine the Zelmer brand held quite a weighty place, was one of the five leaders of the market of small household appliances.
“Last year we started successfully replacing this brand with Bosch products, therefore consumers will not feel the difference,” he noted, adding that Zelmer appliances are not much cheaper than Bosch, and in some positions the prices are equivalent.
Zelmer is one of the most popular small household appliances producers (vacuum cleaners, meat grinders, juicers, electric kettles, bread makers, irons, hair dryers, toasters, etc.) and climate appliances (humidifiers and air purifiers).
PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia has announced an open tender to select a company to insure passengers against accidents in railway transport, the press service of the company has reported.
“We invite insurance companies to participate in an open tender to select an insurer to insure passengers against accidents in rail transport. The railway carrier intends to sign an agreement for a year from March 1, 2018 to March 1, 2019. Bids are accepted within ten working days from the date of the tender announcement posted on the company’s website,” the report says.
Proposals received by the customer after the deadline are not disclosed and returned to participants.
Bids will be disclosed in the premises of Ukrzaliznytsia at 14:00 on February 7.
Antonov Airlines, a leading global operator of An-124-100 Ruslan heavy lift aircraft with a carrying capacity of 150 tonnes, has ensured transportation of the new Al Yah 3 communications satellite of U.S. Orbital ATK weighing 23 tonnes from Washington to the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana (South America).
The press service of Antonov State Enterprise reported that Al Yah 3 spacecraft, one of the satellites created by Orbital ATK on the basis of the GEOStar-3 modern platform, was placed to a container of 11.4 meters long, 4.6 meters wide and 4.1 meters high.
According to open sources, the launch of Al Yah 3 spacecraft using Ariane 5 launch vehicle (LV) is scheduled for January 25 from the Kourou spaceport.
Antonov Airlines Director of Sales for North America Amnon Ehrlich said that the spacecraft was transported using a low-profile ramp system specifically designed and manufactured by Antonov State Enterprise for the satellite and space transportation sector, to safely and efficiently load and offload the satellite.
“We are honored to have been selected as the transport partner for this project, which further illustrates Antonov Airlines’ commitment to its customers and excellence in delivering outsized high-value aerospace equipment worldwide,” he said.
According to the report, recently Antonov Airlines opened a new base in Houston (Texas, the United States).
