KYIV. March 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine’s top 100 largest state-run companies saw revenue of UAH 187 billion in 2015, a 45.1% rise compared to a year ago, First Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Yulia Kovaliv said at a government meeting on Friday.
“Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of the top 100 largest state-run companies was UAH 36 billion, with a profit of UAH 2.2 billion,” she said.
EBITDA increased by UAH 59.31 billion and profit by UAH 68.7 billion from 2014.
Kovaliv said total asset value reached UAH 927 million, up 44.9% year-over-year.
She said that representatives of top 17 largest companies were present at the meeting. Odesa Port-Side Plant, Ukrinterenergo, Ukrgazvydobuvannia and Skhidny Mining showed the largest growth in sales last year, while Centrenergo’s revenue declined and Ukrnafta and Ukrposhta stayed at 2014 levels.
Energoatom, Ukrainian Sea Port Authority and Ukrenergo posted the best profit figures. Additionally, Naftogaz Ukrainy decreased its loss from UAH 89 billion in 2014 to UAH 25 billion in 2015, Kovaliv said.
“Ukrnafta showed the worst figure [from the point of loss],” she said.
She said that all state-run enterprises in 2015 saw UAH 2.6 billion in profit after taking a UAH 7.4 billion in loss in 2014.
The state owns near 3,500 enterprises, including 1,723 operating ones. A total of 72 enterprises are located in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone and 1,683 are being liquidated.
National legislation bans the privatization of over 1,700 enterprises. However, the ministry has drawn up a bill to halve that number to 765.
KYIV. March 21 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Some 17 state companies have increased efficiency and revenues by 40%, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.
“Over the past year the proceeds of these state companies increased by almost 40%, while profits overall totaled $2.6 billion. If compared to the last year’s loss – UAH 7.4 billion – we have improved the financial result by UAH 10 billion,” Yatseniuk stated.
He made these comments on air of “10 Minutes with the Prime Minister” program on Sunday night.
Yatseniuk said Energomarket has improved its financial results by UAH 1.6 billion, and the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority – by UAH 2.3 billion.
Odesa Port-Side Plant has become a profitable venture for the first time in 10 years, posting a UAH 500 million profit. Naftogaz Ukraine has improved financial results by UAH 65 billion, even though the company in the past had always posted losses.
“The government’s position is that we need to completely change management and the system of control at state companies,” the premier said.
Centrenergo, Ukrspyrt and Ukrnafta, meanwhile, posted poor financial results.
KYIV. March 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Projects in the sphere of construction, energy efficiency and road reconstruction will be of top priority for providing subventions from the national budget for regional development projects.
The press service of Ukraine’s Finance Ministry reported that the relevant resolution was passed at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
The subventions will be primarily sent to realize construction completion projects, reconstruction of educational and medical institutions. The funds will be also provided for municipal road construction, reconstruction and overhaul projects.
According to the resolution, projects in the area of energy efficiency and energy saving will also be of top priority.
Total subsidies for local budgets to develop the regions are approved at UAH 1.94 billion in the law on the 2016 national budget.
KYIV. March 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Astarta agro-industrial holding has shipped a batch of corn of around 50,000 tonnes to China, the holding reported on Wednesday.
Astarta would sell 65,000 tonnes of corn more by the end of the current 2015/16 agricultural year to China.
Soy oil made at Globyno processing plant is of great demand in China.
Since early 2015/16 agri-year almost all soy oil was exported to China.
Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding, uniting six regional divisions in Poltava, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, Ternopil, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions. They include nine sugar factories, agricultural farms with a land bank of about 245,000 hectares and dairy farms. Last year, the holding commissioned a plant for processing soybeans in Poltava region (Globyno processing plant).
KYIV. March 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Private joint-stock company Artemovsk Winery (Donetsk region), a large producer of sparkling wine in Ukraine, saw UAH 7.66 million in net profit in 2015 compared to UAH 6.65 million in net loss in 2014.
The company reported that its assets decreased by 0.4%, to UAH 647.1 million.
Current liabilities decreased from UAH 388.5 million to UAH 378.4 million.
Total bills receivable reached UAH 195.8 million, a 1.8-fold rise year-over-year.
Artemovsk Winery is one of Eastern Europe’s largest producers of sparkling wine in a traditional bottle method. The brands of the company include Krim, Artemovskoye, Krimart, Charte Komilfo, Charte and Soloking. Produce is exported to more than 20 countries.
KYIV. March 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) could start the privatization of the remaining state owned controlling stakes in six regional energy supply companies with the sale of the most prepared and those having an attractive business profile, namely Ternopiloblenergo and Khmelnytskyoblenergo, SPF Head Ihor Bilous has said.
“There is an idea to split the six power companies into three groups according to their degree of readiness and problematicity,” he told reporters.
The fund head said that the second stage could include tenders for the sale of Kharkivoblenergo and Mykolaivoblenergo, the third one – Cherkasyoblenergo and Zaporizhiaoblenergo.
Bilous noted that in Ternopil and Khmelnytsky regions the structure of customers of energy supply companies the significant share is occupied by more attractive clients in the current conditions – households, small and medium businesses. According to him, the energy supply companies are relatively small and are not so expensive, which also creates conditions for the formation of competition at the tenders and their successful sale.
He added that international consultants, to improve the efficiency of tenders, offered holding them in early autumn, while the summer season is characterized by a low investment activity.
