Business news from Ukraine

KYIV. May 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law of Singapore Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam discussed international security and expansion of economic cooperation, the press service of the Ukrainian president has reported.

“The president invited Singaporean business to increase investment in Ukraine,” reads the report published late on Wednesday.

The press service said that the Singaporean minister said that Singapore supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said that his country condemns annexation of Crimea and any attempts of violating sovereignty of other countries.

Poroshenko thanked the minister for support.

“I’m an optimist with support all over the world from different countries among this is Singapore. I’m proud of my people who are fighting for peace, freedom and independence of own country,” he said.

KYIV. May 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Nova Poshta private express delivery operator expanded parcel collection points by 20% in April 2015, opening 334 points in 58 settlements of Ukraine, to 2,006 points (including automated parcel terminals), the company’s press service has reported.The press service said that new points were opened in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Kharkiv, Lviv, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytsky, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Lutsk, Marhanets, Illichivsk, Dniprodzerzhynsk, Kryvy Rih, Kremenchuk, Bila Tserkva, Lubny, Slavske, Kramatorsk and other towns.”Among the opened points are 25 postal and package delivery points, 39 points are working in the parcel shop format and accept parcels up to 15 kilograms. Last month Nova Poshta placed its parcel shops in METRO, Foxtrot, Velmart and other retail chains. Over the period 13 partnership representative offices were opened,” the press service said.

In April 2015, Nova Poshta expanded the automated parcel terminal chain by over five times – by 257 points, to 317.

“Automated parcel terminals allow clients to receive parcels of up to 30 kilograms and dimensions 37x35x61 cm. Today the service is available to residents of Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Poltava, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Kherson, Lutsk, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Kryvy Rih, Kremenchuk, Illichivsk, Mahdalynivka, Kakhovka, Nova Kakhovka, Korosten, Dniprodzerzhynsk, Voznesensk, Lubny, Izium, Nizhyn, Myrhorod, Kupiansk, Oleksandria, Svitlovodsk, Chuhuyiv and Pavlohrad,” the company said.

KYIV. May 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met with Prime Minister of Moldova Chiril Gaburici on Wednesday. The parties discussed relevant issues of bilateral relations and experience in cooperation with the EU, the press service of Ukrainian President has reported.

“The President noted the importance of strong and politically stable Moldova for Ukraine. Ukraine is interested in coordinating actions on the European integration and the exchange of experience on the introduction of the visa-free regime,” the press service reported.

According to the President, it is important to fully use benefits of the European integration and reduce risks. “Coordination of actions and efficient mutual support is an important factor,” the Head of State emphasized.

The President said that Ukraine supported Moldova and highly appreciated common projects on economic development, financial stability and benefits of the European integration.

In turn, Chiril Gaburici noted: “Given that the situation in the world is changing rapidly today, it is important to stick together and help one another.” According to him, there are a lot of economic issues in which the two countries can cooperate and achieve progress.

The Moldovan Prime Minister also expressed interest in Ukraine’s experience of reforms. “We are willing to implement reforms and fight corruption. You already have such an experience,” Gaburici said.

The EU has already introduced a visa-free regime for Moldova. Ukraine expects a corresponding decision from the EU at the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga at the end of May.

KYIV. May 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The largest recipients of VAT refunds in April 2015 became ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih – UAH 301.9 million, Poltava Mining – UAH 254.9 million, and Mariupol Illich Steel Works– UAH 204.1 million.According to the State Treasury Service, in general in April VAT refunds grew to UAH 4.4 billion from UAH 2.96 billion a month earlier and UAH 4.3 billion in February.

Large sums of VAT refunds in the past month were also paid to Kernel-Trade from Kernel agroholding (UAH 174.5 million), Zaporizhstal (UAH 169.8 million), Kriukov Car Building Works (UAH 149.4 million), Mykolaiv Alumina Plant (UAH 132.2 million), egg powder producer Imperovo Foods from Avangard agro-holding (UAH 125.9 million), Rise seed producer (UAH 111.2 million) and Azovstal (UAH 99.8 million).

They are followed by Sumy-based Nasosenergomash (UAH 99.2 million), Evraz Sukha Balka (UAH 95.5 million), DTEK Trading (UAH 81.6 million) and Dniprovsky Steel Works (UAH 80.7 million).

KYIV. May 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Vinnytsia was the first Ukrainian city that received the European Energy Award (EEA) certificate, Speaker Volodymyr Groysman has said.

“Our Vinnytsia team worked jointly with Swiss partners for over three years, introducing projects in energy efficiency area and a modern energy governance system. This is an example of potential of local self government agencies in settling problems, for example, energy independence,” Groysman wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

The European Energy Award was founded by Switzerland in 1988. Now this is an international tool of supporting municipalities committed to sustainable municipal energy via the rational use of energy and the increase of the share of renewable sources in the municipal energy balance. There are more than 1,300 municipalities participating in the EEA today.

The ministry said that 14.64 million tonnes of corn and 4.34 million tonnes of barley was supplied to the foreign markets. Exports of other grain totaled 218,000 tonnes.

As reported, with reference to the State Statistics Service, Ukraine in 2014 harvested a record high of 63.8 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops (excluding Crimea), which is 2.4% more than in 2013.

In late January, the ministry and grain market players signed a memorandum of understanding on grain exports in the 2014/2015 MY. In addition to the memorandum, the volume of wheat exports was defined – 12.8 million tonnes, including 7.1 million tonnes of food wheat, corn – 20.2 million tonnes, barley – 4.2 million tonnes.