The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine in the near future might submit a draft resolution on compensation of investments in the port industry to the Cabinet of Ministers for consideration, Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Kistion has said. “We are talking about compensation of investments in the port industry of Ukraine, legalization of objects of port infrastructure that are not registered for objective reasons, both public and private,” he said at the Ukrainian Ports Forum 2018 in Odesa. In addition, the official expressed confidence that the ministry will soon complete the development of a new methodology for calculating port dues, as well as preparation of other legislative acts that will promote the development and modernization of seaports and will further provide opportunities to reduce port rates. At the same time, Kistion noted that since the beginning of the year the government has reduced port rates by 20%.
National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom plans to fully load Westinghouse fuel to four reactors of Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (NPP) in 2019-2021, the press service of the company reported after a meeting of the panel for the installation of Westinghouse fuel assemblies at Ukrainian NPPs. It is planned that in 2019-2021, the active zones of the first, third, fourth and fifth reactors of Zaporizhia NPP will completely have U.S. nuclear fuel. The second and sixth reactors of Zaporizhia NPP are planned to continue to be operated using only Russian nuclear fuel,” the press service said.
The press service said that in 2016, Westinghouse nuclear fuel (one fourth of the total volume, three fourth was the Russian fuel) was loaded into the active zone of the fifth reactor of Zaporizhia NPP. In June 2017, another batch of Westinghouse fuel was added to this reactor, after which its quantity in the active zone reached a half.
In September-October 2017, Westinghouse fuel (one fourth of the total volume for each reactor) was loaded into the active zones of the first, third and fourth reactors of Zaporizhia NPP.
According to the company’s plans, in 2018 it is planned to increase the loading of Westinghouse fuel to the core of the fifth reactor with to three fourth of the total volume, and the first and third reactors to a half. Loading of the next batch of Westinghouse fuel into the active zone of the fourth reactor of Zaporizhia NPP is planned for 2019 in connection with the performance of works to extend the life of this facility.
Ukraine’s GDP in January-March 2018 grew by 3.1% year-over-year, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine reported.
The deficit of Ukraine’s balance of foreign trade in Q1 2018 totaled $134.9 million, while in Q1 2017 the surplus was $126.1 million, the State Statistics Service reported.The Ukrainian government has approved a list of large enterprises for privatization in 2018. It includes 26 enterprises: five regional electricity supply companies, Centrenergo, Odesa Port-Side Plant, Turboatom, Zaporizhia Titanium and Magnesium Combine, United Mining-Chemical Company and Sumykhimprom.
Capital investments in Ukraine in 2017 amounted to UAH 448.462 billion (excluding the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea, Sevastopol, and Donbas).
The deficit of Ukraine’s foreign trade with goods in January-March 2018 grew 1.5-fold year-over-year, reaching $1.201 billion ($794.1 million in Q1 2017), the State Statistics Service reported.
The surplus of Ukraine’s foreign trade in services in January-March 2018 increased by 16% compared to 2016, to $1.461 billion (in January-March 2017 some $1.259 billion), the State Statistics Service has said.
The growth of consumer prices in Ukraine in April 2018 was 0.8% compared to 1.1% in March, 0.9% in February and 1.5% in January, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine has said.
Prices in the industry of Ukraine in April 2018 remained unchanged after growth by 0.3% in March, 1.2% in February and4.4% in January, the State Statistics Service has reported.
Revenue of Ukraine’s national budget in April 2018 totaled UAH 78.87 billion, which is UAH 1.67 billion or 2.2% more than the target, the State Treasury Service of Ukraine reported on its website.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) confirmed the forecast for 2018 inflation at 8.9% in April.
Ukraine’s international reserves grew by 1.3% in April 2018 and amounted to $18.421 billion as of May 1, 2018, according to tentative data published on the website of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
Industrial production in Ukraine in April 2018 increased by 3% compared with April 2017, while the figure in March 2018 year-over-year was 1%, it was 1.9% in February 2018 and 3.6% in January 2018, the State Statistics Service said.
The volume of sold industrial products (goods, services) in January-March 2018 stood at UAH 621.436 billion, which is 16.7% more than in January-March 2017, in particular the volume sold abroad was worth UAH 166.784 billion, the State Statistics Service has reported.
The consumer confidence of Ukrainians improved in April 2018: the Consumer Confidence Index equals 61.3, which is 3.7 points higher than the indicator in March 2018, GfK Ukraine has said in its monthly study.
Ukraine’s retail trade turnover in January-April 2018 increased by 7% in comparable prices in comparison with January-April 2017, the State Statistics Service has said.
