DNIPROPETROVSK. June 12 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian metal companies in July 2015 plan to increase steel smelting by 4.5% compared to expected production in June, to 2.3 million tonnes and steel roll production will grow by 5.6%, to 1.9 million tonnes.
According to the materials of the Metallurgprom association (Dnipropetrovsk), the plan for July foresees a rise of 23.5% in cast iron production, to 2.1 million tonnes.
In January-May 2015 cast iron output fell by 30% year-over-year, to 8.363 million tonnes, steel production was down by 28%, to 9.251 million tonnes and steel roll output – by 30%, to 8.005 million tonnes.
In April, 1.927 million tonnes of cast iron was made, as well as 2.177 million tonnes of steel and 1.836 million tonnes of steel roll.
“Since August 2014 this is the largest figures,” Metallurgprom Director General Oleksandr Zrazhevsky said.
Ukrainian iron ore supplies in May grew by 320,000 tonnes compared to April 2015, to 2.3 million tonnes. In January-May 2015, 9.8 million tonnes of Ukrainian-made iron ore was supplied to metal companies.
Imported iron ore suppliers (from Russia) totaled 240,000 tonnes in May, a rise by 200,000 tonnes compared to April. In January-May, imported supplies reached 530,000 tonnes.
Exported iron ore totaled around 4.1 million tonnes in May and 19 million tonnes in January-May 2015.
A total of 283,000 tonnes of scrap metal was supplied to metal companies in May and 1.186 million tonnes in January-May.
KYIV. June 12 (Interfax-Ukraine) – A project to provide electronic administrative services using bank identification will soon be launched in Lviv, Head of IT Division of the largest bank in Ukraine – PrivatBank (Dnipropetrovsk) and activist of non-profit-making organizations ICT Competence Center Dmytro Dubilet wrote on his Facebook page.
“Several months ago we presented BankID, and next Monday Lviv will be the first city in Ukraine which launches administrative services using the tool. Let me remind you that BankID is a way to indentify a person via online banking as an alternative to the electronic and digital signature,” Dubilet said.
He also said the electronic services could be launched in other cities of Ukraine in summer.
Previously, several IT specialists founded ICT Competence Center to support the development of government IT solutions and e-government in Ukraine.
KYIV. June 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) plans to put 5% each in Odesa Port-Side Plant, Odesa and Kherson combined heat and power plants up for sale in July on the stock exchanges, reads a fund order of June 8 on the approval of the privatization schedule for 2015.
According to the document published in the Vidomosti Pryvatyzatsii newspaper on Thursday, 25% each in DTEK Dniprooblenergo, DTEK Dniproenergo, Kyivenergo and DTEK Zakhidenergo will be put up for sale on exchanges in August.
In September, a 5% stake in Zaporizhiaoblenergo, 25% each in Odesaoblenergo and Texterno in November, 25% each in Donbasenergo and DTEK Donetskoblenergo, 46% in Cherkasyoblenergo and 16.537% in Zasiadko Mine will be put up for sale.
As for auctions where controlling stakes will be put up for sale, in September it is planned to put 70% in Mykolaivoblenergo, 70.009% in Khmelnytskoblenergo, 50.999% in Ternopiloblenergo and 50% in Ukrnaftoproduct up for sale.
In October an auction to sell 65.001% in Kharkivoblenergo, in November 94.99% in Odesa combined heat and power plant, 94.833% in Kherson combined heat and power plant and 94.567% in Odesa Port-Side Plant will be held.
In December, it is planned to hold an auction to sell 55.248% in Zaporizhiaoblenergo and 94.995% in Sumykhimprom.
The fund said that auctions to sell energy facilities and Odesa Port-Side Plant will held if the Cabinet of Ministers decides to sell them.
KYIV. June 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Representatives of the General Directorate of the European Commission examined the Ukrainian grain seed control and certification system from May 26 to June 4, 2015 and its compliance with the requirements of the European Union.
“In general, EU experts have approved the official grain seed control and certification system and their compliance with the requirements of the EU. After receiving positive conclusions of the European Commission Ukraine will have good opportunities for entering the global seed market,” Deputy Agricultural Policy and Food Minister for European Integration Vladyslava Rutytska told Interfax-Ukraine.
She said that the audit was conducted under the request of Ukraine which was first made in 2011.
She said that representatives of the European Commission visited farms in Kyiv, Cherkasy and Khmelnytsky regions.
KYIV. June 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Experts from the Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine plan to draw up a program on the country’s modernization by September, a representative of the agency, Austrian politician and former Foreign Minister and Finance Minister of Austria Michael Spindelegger has said.
“We’ve started work in late March. We hope that by the middle or end of September the program on Ukraine’s modernization will be ready and we will be able to present it to the public,” he said during a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.
He said that firstly, the program will be presented to the agency’s partners – the Federation of Employers of Ukraine and the Federation of Trade Unions, and then it will be presented to the public and then to the Ukrainian parliament.
“Our plans after September are to create the Fund for the Modernization of Ukraine. The fund would invest in small and medium-sized companies and infrastructure development,” he said.
When asked about the sources of financing for the agency, he said that the agency signed a contribution agreement with the financial group of Dmytro Firtash. However, the agreement states that the agency acts independently, he said.
“No director or section head feels pressure,” he said.
Spindelegger said the agency is currently expanding the platform of partners who will provide financial aid to the institution.
He said that Agency for the Modernization of Ukraine was founded in March 2015. It is based in Vienna (Austria).
KYIV. June 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in June revised upward the forecast for wheat harvest in Ukraine and its exports in the new agricultural year by 1 million tonnes compared to the previous month forecast, to 23 million tonnes and 11.5 million tonnes respectively.
Fodder grain harvest forecast was revised slightly downward compared to May – from 33.325 million tonnes to 33.125 million tonnes, while the forecast for fodder grain exports has not changed, being 18.18 million tonnes.
In particular, corn harvest would total 26 million tonnes and exports – 16 million tonnes.
USDA said that in the 2014/2015 agricultural year Ukraine would export 11.5 million tonnes of wheat with 24.75 million harvest, 20.885 million tonnes of fodder grain with 39.345 million harvest (including 18 million tonnes of corn with 28.45 million harvest).
Ukraine’s State Statistics Service reported that the grain and leguminous crops harvest in Ukraine in 2014 totaled a record high of about 63.8 million tonnes, including 24.1 million tonnes of wheat, 9.04 million tonner of barley, and – 28.45 million tonnes of maize.
Ukraine’s Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry projects grain exports in the current marketing year to reach 32 million tonnes.
