KYIV. Sept 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has enacted a resolution by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), dated July 20, 2015, titled “On the measures to protect Ukraine’s national aviation interests.”
A decree to that effect, dated September 4, has been posted on the website of the head of state. The document is effective from the day of publication.
Control over the enforcement of the resolution has been vested with the NSDC secretary.
Under the NSDC resolution, the Cabinet is to urgently approve a plan of preparations for the introduction of Ukraine’s joint aviation space with the European Union and its member states, in particular, by adapting Ukraine’s air transportation laws to those of the EU.
The government also has one month to reorganize the State Aviation Service, to optimize state regulation of the use of the country’s airspace, to improve the functions of regulating air navigation services and organizing airspace, and the functions of certifying aviation businesses and aviation infrastructure; and to oversee (monitor) the civil aviation industry. In addition, the government is to consider increasing the number of state inspectors and improve pay conditions for them and for the persons authorized to conduct relevant inspections on the basis of audits carried out by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The Cabinet also has two months to approve plans of measures to develop Ukrainian civil aviation before 2020, in particular, by developing domestic and international flights based on projected figures for passenger and cargo traffic; launching new flight routes; optimizing aviation schools and aviation medical centers with the aim of improving the quality of their services and raising the level of aviation safety; and by turning Boryspil International Airport into an international airline hub through measures such as simplifying border checks for Ukrainian nationals arriving in the country and for foreign passengers on transit flights.
The government is also to prepare a new government program on in civil aviation safety, based on international experience, and submit the bill to the Verkhovna Rada for approval; to develop, in accordance with EU laws, mechanisms for providing state support to domestic airline companies to make them more competitive in a liberalized market for air transportation services, and to protect national interests in the civil aviation industry.
KYIV. Sept 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Industrial Milk Company (IMC) could expand its fields sown with winter wheat for the 2016 harvest to 16,000-20,000 hectares compared to 12,500 hectares for the 2015 harvest, depending on the weather.
“We plan to increase fields with winter crops. Last year we had 12,500 hectares, and this year from 16,000 to 20,000 hectares would be allocated for winter wheat, depending on weather,” IMC CEO Alex Lissitsa told reporters at a press conference in Kyiv last week.
He said that in general, the structure of fields for the 2016 harvest would not change, and that the core crop will be corn.
Lissitsa added that due to hot weather in 2015, Ukraine could harvest 20-22 million tonnes of corn.
“Ukraine would harvest 20-22 million tonnes of corn, which is around 20% down on what was planned. Western regions suffered from drought, these are Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytsky and Ternopil regions, and there are problems with the north of Zhytomyr region. Good harvests are expected in Kharkiv, Poltava and Cherkasy regions,” he said.
IMC cultivates grains, oilseeds and potatoes. It is also one of the largest milk producers in Ukraine. The company owns storage capacity of 554,000 tonnes of grains and oilseeds. Its land bank is 136,700 hectares.
KHARKIV. Sept 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company (KSAMC) could sign contracts on supplying aircraft to Kazakhstan and China, Head of Kharkiv Regional Administration Ihor Rainin has said.
“We, jointly with Ukroboronprom and the Cabinet of Ministers are holding negotiations [on loading KSAMC with orders]. They are at the final stage. We plan that the contracts would be [signed] with Kazakhstan and China,” he said at a briefing during the “Innovation. Investment. Kharkiv Initiatives” international forum.
He did not disclose other details before the contracts are signed.
As reported, on June 16, 2015, the Ukrainian government transferred Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company and 410 Civil Aviation Plant from Antonov state enterprise to the management of Ukroboronprom state concern.
Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company is one of the leading enterprises in Ukraine’s aviation industry, and is the manufacturer of the multipurpose An-74 and short-haul An-140 aircraft.
KYIV. Sept 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The State Fiscal Service of Ukraine plans to introduce an automated goods turnover recording system from importers/producers to end consumers using barcodes, State Fiscal Service Head Roman Nasirov said at a press conference last week.
He said that the system would automatically prevent value added tax (VAT) for imported goods avoidance.
Among the other plans of the fiscal service under the ongoing tax reform is the introduction of the excise duty electronic administration, the approval of the shortcut form of tax reports, the introduction of the single-level system of appealing tax agencies’ decisions by taxpayers, and the creation of the mediation mechanism for settling tax disputes.
“When we speak about the next steps, this is not theory, this is what we will be responsible for and report on the next month and until the end of the year,” he said.
He added that the draft law on the creation of the system of appealing the decisions of tax agencies by taxpayers has been discussed by the cabinet and it is now in the parliament, adding that the draft law could be approved in September.
KYIV. Sept 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has helped Ukrainian companies-exporters to sign contracts worth $700 million in 2014, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said.
“Last year our companies signed contracts worth over $700 million with the direct assistance of the Foreign Ministry,” Klimkin said at a meeting of the Council of Exporters and Investors at the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine in Kyiv last week.
The minister said that raising the awareness of foreign partners about Ukrainian should be made a priority to help Ukrainian businesses.
The ministry has proposed that a new secretariat of the Council of Exporters is created and the respective website – www.rei.mfa.gov.ua – has been launched. It would be the key instrument of the Council of Exporters, comprising the economic and business information aggregator from the Foreign Ministry, foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine, and national producers to promote Ukrainian goods to foreign markets. Foreign companies would find information they need on the website to invest in order to invest in the Ukrainian economy.
The consolidated data on the prospects of doing business abroad, primary trends of promising foreign markets, announcements on holding tenders abroad, and business offers of foreign companies could be found on the website, as well as announcements on business forums and fairs, the required contacts of foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine abroad, and the formats of inquiries to promote entering foreign markets.
The English version of the website is oriented to foreign companies interested in establishing cooperation with Ukrainian partners and realizing investment projects in Ukraine.
KYIV. Sept 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom (Kyiv) has announced a tender to raise two renewable multicurrency credit lines equivalent to UAH 505 million each as well as a third credit line of $17 million, according to the company’s announcement in the Visnyk Derzhavnykh Zakupivel state procurements bulletin.
The company said that the funds will be raised for one year from the moment of the signing of the credit agreement.
Bids can be submitted until September 28, 2015. They will be opened on the same date.
Energoatom operates 15 nuclear power blocks, equipped with VVER reactors, with a combined capacity to generate 13.835 gigawatts.
