KYIV. Nov 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – MHP agroholding, the largest poultry producer in Ukraine, seeks to more actively work with local communities and public leaders to the change the parasitical and paternalistic mood in the country and create better prospects for development and the company, MHP Board Chairman Yuriy Kosiuk has said.
“Successful people inside the company are social outcasts, an object of derision and envy. We have decided that we will work with communities to change attitudes toward successful people and those who want to do something,” he said at the third Orchestrators of Change Directors forum.
The businessman said that it is a surprise for him after the Maidan how strong parasitical mood in society is. Without changing it, attempts to improve the work of the authorities and their institutions for example, the Verkhovna Rada and the Antimonopoly Committee, will be in vain, he said.
He said that the company should set a good example to businesses and leaders in each settlement and community where the company works.
Kosiuk said that this could take five years, but it would be hard to change parasitical and paternalistic mood in society without it. He said that these are good deeds such as beautiful grass plots, paving slabs, painting of road border stones and intolerance to scoundrels.
The businessman said that as part of the new approach to the implementation of social projects the company would actively involve the public.
“We will finance 70% and you – 30% with money, participation and work,” he said.
KYIV. Nov 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian government would find schemes for resuming large-scale production of agricultural machinery in Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said during his visit to Kherson Machine Building Plant.
“As for support of combine production… The top managers of the enterprise say that this combine has been brought up to date. If it is so and it is proved, I think we would be able to speak about finding tools to support building of combines in Ukraine,” the press service of the government said on Thursday, citing Groysman.
The prime minister said that the government considers support of machine building in Ukraine a top priority.
“Today we see that equipment for agriculture, including machinery, can be made in Ukraine,” Groysman said, commenting on the operation of Kherson Machine Building Plant.
He said that around 20 enterprises in Ukraine are cooperating with the plant delivering knots for machinery.
“The competitive advantage is the quality and the price. The price is twice cheaper than the analog. This is good. The quality would make farmers to believe in these products and start using them,” he said.
“Today we have absolutely all chances to create a Ukrainian tractor,” Groysman said, adding that the government wants to create schemes for compensating a part of the cost of agricultural machinery.
The prime minister said that around 100 types of agricultural equipment are made in Ukraine.
“We are ready to compensate 20-30% of the cost of equipment to Ukrainian farmers who produce national products. This would cheapen farmers’ goods, and farmers would have a chance to use this equipment in production. We want to launch this circle,” he said.
He said that the Cabinet of Ministers and the national committee for industrial development are working on the issue.
He said that the government envisaged UAH 5.5 billion for support of small and medium-sized farms in the draft 2017 national budget. It could be expanded to UAH 10 billion. Now the government is holding consolations with parliament to look for the required tools.
KYIV. Nov 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Kyiv City Administration is organizing Kyiv Investment Forum where city projects will be presented for Ukrainian and foreign investors, the press service of Kyiv City Administration has reported.
“The Kyiv Investment Forum is an important event for our city to show its investment attractiveness and development. We would propose interesting and promising projects to investors and prove that investment climate in Kyiv is favorable and transparent for doing business,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Dragon Capital, European Business Association (EBA) and Kyiv Smart City NGO are partners of the forum.
The panels for presenting the projects would be transport infrastructure, utilities and energy efficiency, social sphere, industry, IT and real estate.
“The Kyiv Investment Forum is an international economic event aimed at showing transparency of the city authorities and creating a clear vision of the economic and investment potential of the Ukrainian capital. Leading foreign and Ukrainian economists, statesmen, representatives of Ukrainian and international business, international financial institutions and funds are invited to participate in the forum,” the press service said.
The forum is to take place on November 23, 2016 at the Olympiysky National Sports Complex.
KYIV. Nov 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending EUR 200 million to the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine to support sustainable municipal transport infrastructure in 20 Ukraine’s municipalities.
An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that the agreement was signed by Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan and EIB Vice President Vazil Hudak in the presence of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on November 11.
“This project is important for Ukrainian cities. It allows to considerably upgrading municipal transport: this is the modernization of tram and trolleybus fleets. I would stress particularly that in the conditions of financial decentralization local budget can cooperation with IFIs [international financial institutions] themselves and implement similar projects,” Groysman said.
The prime minister recalled that the government supports projects to modernize public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia, a pump-storage plant and hopes to agree on the energy efficiency and higher education projects.
The press service of the EIB said that the bank would its support through a modal shift from road to electric transport and more efficient operation of existing public transport systems in municipalities across Ukraine.
“A higher customer service level and sustainability of public transport in medium-to-large- Ukrainian cities will increase the quality of life of citizens, improve environment and increase energy savings, leading to a higher economic output,” the bank said in a press release.
The project will contribute to the implementation of the National Urban Public Transport program promoted by the government of Ukraine. It covers municipal schemes involving purchase of new or modernization of existing rolling stock, e.g. trolleybuses, trams and buses, rehabilitation and construction of public transport infrastructure as tram lines, bus lanes, stations, depots.
The project will target up to twenty municipalities and will comprise multiple investment schemes varying from EUR 1 million – EUR 50 million. The final beneficiaries will be municipally-owned transport utilities or municipalities themselves.
The schemes to be supported under this loan are supposed to amount to total investment costs of some EUR 400 million, out of which EIB will co-finance up to 50%. The project will be also co-financed by a partner financing institution – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
According to a press release of the Infrastructure Ministry spread at the signing ceremony, the up to 22 year financing will be guaranteed by the government. The grace period is up to five years.
The EIB will finance the project in 15 tranches during five years.
It is planned that the project will be implemented in Kyiv, Bila Tserkva, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kremenchuk, Lutsk, Lviv, Odesa, Sumy, Ternopil, Kharkiv and Chernihiv.
