KYIV. May 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The creation of a state holding company and the transfer of state-run strategic enterprises from ministries is included in the list of top priorities of the new government for 2016.
“The formation of supervisory boards, the reduction of a list of facilities that are ineligible for privatization, conducting independent audits at 100% of state-owned enterprises,” First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development and Trade Minister Stepan Kubiv said presenting the government’s steps for 2016 at a meeting of the national Reforms Council.
The government seeks to receive up to UAH 20 billion from privatization with the budget target of UAH 17 billion. The government wants to sell Odesa Port-Side Plant and regional electricity supply companies at transparent tenders, liquidate at least 50 state-run enterprises and introduce free access to information about enterprises.
The document says that the state owns around 3,500 enterprises and only 1,800 of them are operating. 100 largest companies bring almost 90% of total assets and 80% of entire revenue.
A total of 345 companies are placed on the privatization list for 2016. The state potentially can transfer 723 companies for privatization.
KYIV. May 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine’s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade intends in the near future to include international tourism standards in the state plan of standardization.
“The state standardization plan in late May will include 12 international and European standards in the sector of tourism and hospitality,” the director of the ministry’s tourism and resorts department, Ivan Lyptuha, wrote on his Facebook page.
According to him, the decision was made on May 18, 2016 at a joint meeting of the profile department and the technical regulation department of the ministry with the heads of technical committees and national standardization authority UkrNDNC.
“The implementation of common international standards ISO and EN will allow to improve the quality of services in the tourism sector, contribute to the transparency of permitting and licensing systems, reduce corruption risks, as well as allow to more effectively protect the rights of tourism services consumers,” the expert said.
KYIV. May 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Public joint-stock company Ukrhydroenergo intends to sign a loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank to build Kaniv pump-storage plant (PSP) in September and October 2016, Ukrhydroenergo Head Ihor Syrota told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday.
“We are to answer all questions asked by the banks by June 28. In July or August we would hold a repeated public discussion… We seeks to have the project approved by the banks’ boards of directors [EBRD and the World Bank] in August and in September or October we would be able to sign the agreements,” he said.
Some $1.25-1.3 billion would be raised for the project. The loans are to cover 98% of the project cost.
Syrota said that in August or September 2016 the company intends to start preparations for the project using own funds. It will last for around one year.
KHARKIV. May 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Republic of Korea is interested in creating an industrial park in Kharkiv region, the Ambassador of Korea to Ukraine has said at a meeting with head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Ihor Rainin.
“There is a good infrastructure and the environment in Kharkiv to implement the project of a technical park. You have good science, technology and industry… We can implement such a project. We are interested in it,” the ambassador said.
Rainin noted strong sectors in the Kharkiv region economy are industry and agriculture, while promising are the development of areas related to science and IT.
The Ukrainian official invited the delegation of the Republic of Korea to take part in the international investment forum to be held in Kharkiv region in September 2016.
The ambassador, in turn, invited the representatives of Kharkiv region to the investment forum to be held in Korea on June 14.
KYIV. May 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The completion of the Lvivska Brama subway station of the Syretsko-Pecherska line of Kyiv Metropoliten is being discussed with investors. Some core issues are to be settled with city authorities.
An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that Spokesperson of Kyiv Metropoliten Natalia Makohon gave the information during a visit of the station on Thursday.
“An investment tender scheme and station entrances have not yet been determined. The station has been mothballed for 20 years. We hope that Kyiv residents would be able to use it, as it would unload the central part of the city,” she said.
Makohon said that the readiness of the station is around 80%. The tracks and power supplies are operating.
“Many funds are required to complete it and a lion’s share of them is required to buy escalators equipment, install it and build entrances. This is a deep station – around 50 meters deep,” she said.
Makohon said that the city would decide whether the station would be completed using Kyiv budget funds or investors’ funds.
Asked about the Telychka station of the same line, Makohon said that the station was built as a technical station.
“I think that when at least a residential area is built in the district [where the station is located] city officials may consider opening it. We use this station as technical one,” she said.
KYIV. May 26 (Interfax-Ukraine) – A preliminary agreement on the possible opening of the trade representative office of China’s Heilongjiang Province in Kharkiv region has been reached during a meeting of Head of Kharkiv region Ihor Rainin with a Chinese delegation.
“The trade representative office of Heilongjiang Province in Kharkiv region will be a base for permanent communications between your specialists with representatives of our business. You will be able to monitor economic processes in the region,” the press service of Kharkiv’s Regional Administration reported, citing Rainin.
He said that all organization issues linked to the opening of the representative office will be tacked by the administration.
