KYIV. Oct 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Greek Tourism Ministry, the Greek Tourism Organization and the Boumbouras Foundation have opened a national tourist office in Kyiv.
According to the press office of the Greek tourist office, it will become a center of information about traditional and new tourist opportunities in Greece, educational and cultural programs, religious, medical, business tourism, and ecotourism.
Experts predicted an increase in the flow of tourists from Ukraine to Greece due to the introduction of a visa-free regime with the European Union.
Over 11,000 tourists from Ukraine visited Greece in 2016.
KYIV. Oct 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian enterprises working with scrap ferrous metals in January-September 2017 increased exports of these products by 37.6% compared to the same period in 2016, to 321,104 tonnes (233,378 tonnes a year ago).
According to customs statistics made public by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, scrap metal exports in monetary terms grew by 82.5%, to $74.83 million ($40.992 million in January-September 2016).
In September, exports of scrap metal totaled 64,336 tonnes, while in August it was 68,729 tonnes, July 57,073 tonnes, June 29,106 tonnes, in May 26,151 tonnes, April – 27,038 tonnes, March – 20,889 tonnes, February – 7,676 tonnes and January – 10,106 tonnes.
In January-September 2017 the country increased imports of scrap metal in natural terms by 6.9% compared to January-September 2016, to 17,606 tonnes. In monetary terms, imports grew 2.9-fold, to $16.936 million.
The goods were mainly imported from Turkey (86.98% of supply in terms of money), and Moldova (4.78%). Exports mainly went to Turkey (49.26%), Moldova (45.74%) and Bulgaria (2.91%).
KYIV. Oct 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrenergo has started the official publication of data on the ENTSO-E website (http://bit.ly/2xPkFiz), the state-owned enterprise has said.
Ukrenergo, in particular, promulgates the plans and the fact of consumption and external flows.
“This is one of our main commitments in the framework of both European integration projects: getting membership in ENTSO-E and the agreement on the Energy Community,” the company explained.
The company said the beginning of data publication required a number of approvals from the platform administrators from the neighboring countries.
“We expect an additional disclosure of public data from our auction platform by the end of the year. We also intend to download data on generation,” Ukrenergo said.
As reported, in June 2017 Ukrenergo Head Vsevolod Kovalchuk signed an agreement on the conditions of the future unification of the energy systems of Ukraine and Moldova with ENTSO-E (the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity). In July the agreement came into force after it had been signed by the necessary number of European system operators.
The deadline for Ukraine’s fulfilling the requirements for accession to the united energy system of continental Europe is July 2022.
KYIV. Oct 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of U.S. General Electric Transportation Jamie Miller at a meeting in Kyiv discussed the prospect of U.S. involvement in the modernization of public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia.
“During the meeting, the parties discussed the prospects of U.S. participation in the modernization of PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia, in particular, the renovation of the fleet of locomotives of the Ukrainian enterprise,” the press service of the head of state reported on Tuesday.
Poroshenko expressed hope that further cooperation with General Electric Transportation would help enhance transport, transit and export potential of our country. He said that strategic cooperation with General Electric Transportation with localization of production on the Ukrainian territory will be a breakthrough in bilateral cooperation in the field of modernization of the transport sector of Ukraine.
The president also said that the fruitful development of a political dialogue between Ukraine and the United States, which effectively promotes the intensification of bilateral economic cooperation, including the involvement of leading U.S. companies in Ukraine.
KYIV. Oct 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Agricultural enterprises received UAH 11.58 million for August-September 2017 under the program on partial compensation for agricultural machinery made in Ukraine bought by farmers as budget subsidy.
The Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry said that 68 enterprises filed for compensation in September. The total sum reached UAH 10.856 million and was sent to banks to send the money to farmers.
In August, applications for receiving compensations by six enterprises in the amount of UAH 727,400 were sent to banks.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers announced UAH 4 billion of subsidies in agriculture in 2017.
KYIV. Oct 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Farming associations have asked the Ukrainian prime minister and lawmakers to drop the plans to halve subsidies for agricultural producers announced in the draft national budget for 2018, according to a posting on the website of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council.
In particular, the associations are alarmed with the proposal to cut the subsidies for agricultural producers from UAH 4 billion to UAH 2 billion in the draft national budget for 2018.
In contrast to other types of assistance from the state, subsidies are paid automatically, minimizing corruption. Statistics data about the stop of declining the numbers of livestock at farms in 2017 is evidence of the effectiveness of the subsidies.
On the other hand, the farmers draw the attention of government officials to an unjustified increase in spending on other items. The amount of funds for partial compensation of the cost of agricultural machinery made in Ukraine is planned to increase from UAH 500 million to UAH 945 million.
According to associations’ estimates, this year the use of these funds will not exceed UAH 250 million. For reaching the amount that is proposed in the budget, the total value of manufactured and sold Ukrainian agricultural machinery should increase 2.5-fold next year.
In addition, the associations said that the planned spending under the program on support of livestock by the state of UAH 1.6 billion also exceed the need. The associations proposed to reduce the planned amount of expenses under this program to UAH 700 million.
According to the calculations of the Association of Milk Producers and the Association of Pig Breeders of Ukraine, the total amount of required financing is up to UAH 400 million.
Representatives of the Ukrainian Agrarian Union, Agrarian Union of Ukraine, Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, Ukrainian Agribusiness Club and the Union of Poultry Breeders of Ukraine signed the address to the prime minister.
