KYIV. Jan 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman predicts a 25% growth in revenues of local budgets in 2017.
“We have almost an annual rise of 50% in revenues of local budgets … We foresee another growth of 25% next year,” Groysman said on the air of the Espreso TV Channel.
According to the premier, simultaneously with the increase in revenues, the responsibility of local authorities will grow and decentralization in regions depends on their efficiency.
Groysman believes the public should also monitor the use of funds from local budgets to avoid corruption.
KYIV. Jan 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine in 2016 increased transit of natural gas through its gas transportation system (GTS) by 22.5% (15.121 billion cubic meters) compared with 2015, to 82.2 billion cubic meters, according to live data from PJSC Ukrtransgaz.
In December 2016 gas transit increased by 24.5% (1.659 billion cubic meters) compared to the same month in 2015, to 8.421 billion cubic meters. In particular transit of gas through Ukraine to Europe last month amounted to 8.035 billion cubic meters, to Moldova 386.1 million cubic meters.
Total volume of Russian gas transit through the Ukrainian gas transportation system in 2016 was the highest in the last three years.
Ukrtransgaz, 100% owned by Naftogaz Ukrainy, operates a system of trunk gas pipelines and 12 underground gas storage facilities in the country.
KYIV. Dec 30 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian state-run postal enterprise Ukrposhta seeks to boost capital investment by 2.4 times in 2017 from UAH 206 million in 2016 to UAH 500 million in 2017.
“We have managed to balance large growth of financial needs of the company in the approved financial plan thanks to search for resources to increase effectiveness and quick growth of the enterprise. The important part of the plan is a possibility of financing capital investment of UAH 500 million,” the press service of Ukrposhta said, citing Director General Ihor Smeliansky.
He said that growth of capital investment is to create a multiplying effect on the development of the company in coming years and help to return the market share to Ukrposhta and increase the quality of its services.
The fund will be spent on repair or re-equipment of departments and truck fleet.
KYIV. Dec 30 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Yanair airline (Zhytomyr) points out a serious problem with training flying staff in Ukraine, Yanair airline Director General Volodymyr Sobolev has said.
“Veterans like me are dying or retire, while young people are different. Someone has a desire, someone is dragged by the ears by parents and he does not understand what he needs this. Many persons are attracted by high wages, but they do not understand that the money is not paid for nothing. We end up with understanding that we need to train flying staff ourselves, from the green field. Unfortunately, training in Ukraine is of low quality, if to choose my words carefully,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
Sobolev said that airlines train pilots themselves. For example, UIA does not train from the green field. The airline signed a contract with Lithuania and guarantees employment to students trained in Lithuania at Baltic Aviation Academy.
“We have own airport [Zhytomyr]. It is likely that we will create a flying school on its base. We have many proposals from pilots from Europe who cannot add flying hours and they are ready to pay to fly with us and get trained,” he said.
KYIV. Dec 30 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Dnipro-based Pivdenne Machine Building Plant named after Makarov (Pivdenmash) increased loading of its production facilities by 1.5 times in 2016 and the plant seeks to more than double it in 2017.
The press service of Pivdenmash told Interfax-Ukraine that this year the enterprise managed to pass the crisis peak over the breach in traditional cooperation in 2014.
“Today one can say that the crisis bottom has been passed: this year Pivdenmash boosted loading of production facilities by one and a half times, and next year, taking into account the contracts signed, the loading would more than double,” the press service said.
Expansion of cooperation with leading space states, in particular, the United States and the European Union, entrance to the new markets, production of defense products and participation in the import replacement program are the essential factors allowed to load the facilities, the press service said.
“This year Pivdenmash resumes production of the first stage of Antares launch vehicle (LV) in the interests of U.S. Orbital ATK. The company is involved in the implementation of the NASA contract to service ISS. NASA representatives visited Pivdenmash and remained pleased with what they saw. Some meetings and negotiations were held in the United States. Pivdenmash is also boosting cooperation under the European Vega LV. It is early to speak about the new projects, but we are ready for them,” the press service said.
This year the enterprise promoted the interests of Ukraine’s space sector in Southeast Asia.
“Contracts with partners, including from India and South Korea, have been signed or are being signed,” the press service said.
In the conditions of new challenges to the state’s defense capability one of the sources to load production facilities was the implementation of the state defense order, first of all, production of missiles.
Pivdenmash also worked hard in the import replacement area.
“Today we believe that the most promising is the project to create solar power plants and wind farms. Jointly with the global leaders in the sector an investment project is being designed. It would help to organize production of wind turbines and spare parts to solar power plants for up to EUR 500 million a year with attraction of European investment,” the press service said.
“As of late December, UAH 1.322 billion were sent to accounts of Pivdenmash in 2015, including UAH 194.6 million paid by Pivdenne Design Bureau,” the press service said.
KYIV. Dec 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Funding for the National Commission for Regulation of Financial Services Markets in the national budget of Ukraine for 2017 is determined in the amount of UAH 52.235 million, which is 90.99% more than the figure foreseen for 2016 (UAH 27.349 million).
According to the law on the national budget of Ukraine for 2017, posted on the website of the Verkhovna Rada, it is planned to allocate UAH 40 million for wages to the regulator employees, which more than two-fold exceeds expenditures for these purposes in the national budget for 2016 (UAH 19.713 million).
As reported, the national budget for 2017 was based on the forecast of a 3% rise in Ukraine’s real GDP and a 14.2% increase in nominal GDP, to UAH 2.585 billion, with inflation being 8.1%.
