National energy company Ukrenergo saw UAH 2.5 billion in net profit in 2018, which is 1.4 times more than in 2017 (UAH 1.75 billion), Ukrenergo CEO Vsevolod Kovalchuk said at the presentation entitled “10 Steps Towards Europe” late on Thursday.
He said that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin of Ukrenergo last year was 58.2%.
In addition, Ukrenergo paid UAH 1.3 billion of taxes to the national budget.
As reported, Ukrenergo in 2017 cut its net profit by 42% or UAH 1.264 billion compared with 2016, to UAH 1.748 billion.
Ukrenergo operates trunk and interstate transmission lines, as well as centralized dispatching of the country’s integrated power grids. It is a state-owned enterprise, but it will be transformed into a private joint-stock company soon.
The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority plans to announce tenders to transfer Olvia stevedoring company and Kherson maritime merchandise port in concession in May 2019, Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority Head Raivis Veckagans said at a briefing at the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine on Thursday.
“An important process in 2019 will be our concession projects. We plan to set up a tender commission for project evaluation in February. In March, we plan that the tender documents and criteria for evaluating potential bidders will be approved, and in May we plan to announce the tender,” he said.
Veckagans expects that by autumn, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority will sign the first concession agreements with public stevedoring companies.
“Also this year we plan to complete work on the feasibility studies for the following concession projects: the railway ferry complex at Chornomorsk and the public stevedoring company at the Yuzhny seaport.
As reported, the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine was expecting to conduct tender procedures for the transfer of Olvia stevedoring company and Kherson maritime merchandise port in concession in March-April and sign contracts with the winners of the tenders in May-June 2019.
PJSC Ukrnafta in 2018 paid UAH 7.8 billion of royalties to the budgets of all levels, the company’s press service has reported.
The press service said that UAH 389.3 million was paid to the local budgets, including UAH 165 million in Sumy region, UAH 87.4 million in Ivano-Frankivsk region and UAH 62.5 million in Poltava region.
As reported, Ukrnafta in 2018 increased extraction of oil and gas condensate by 5% or 0.069 million tonnes compared with 2017, to 1.448 million tonnes. Gas production in 2018 fell by 2.3% or 0.026 million cubic meters, to 1.082 billion cubic meters, and production of liquefied gas decreased 5.2% or 6,000 tonnes, to 110,000 tonnes.
Ukrnafta is the largest oil producer in the country. National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy owns 50% and one share of Ukrnafta, and a group of companies associated with former shareholders of PrivatBank – about 42% of the shares.
The Kyiv City Council at a meeting on Thursday approved the tourism fee rate in the amount of 0.4% of the minimum wage for Ukrainian tourists and 1% of the minimum wage for foreign tourists. A total of 76 deputies backed the decision. “In 2019, the amount of this fee for domestic tourism will amount to UAH 16.69, for inbound tourism – UAH 41.73. Taking into account the rates, the city budget should receive at least UAH 35 million,” the press service of the Kyiv City Council reported, citing First Deputy Head of the Kyiv City Administration Mykola Povoroznik.
Earlier, he reported that in 2018, the budget of Kyiv city received UAH 33 million, which is almost a quarter more than in 2017.
As reported, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada in 2019 changed the base for accruing the tourism fee and obliged tourists living in private accommodation to pay it, according to the law amending the Tax Code and other legal acts on the review of some tax and duty rates (bill No. 9260 from the so-called “budget” package of bills).
In addition, the law changes the tourism fee rates in 2019. In particular, for domestic tourists, the rates should not exceed 0.5% of the minimum wage per day, which from January 1, 2019 will be UAH 20.87, for inbound tourism – up to 5% of the minimum wage (UAH 208.65). The final rates will be determined by local councils, but they will not depend on the cost of accommodation or hotel category.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance of France has allocated a grant of EUR 560,000 to Ukraine to finance a joint project of Ukrenergo and RTE International for the implementation of Ukraine’s first energy storage system, the press service of the Ukrainian company has reported. According to its data, in the next six months, RTE International plans to implement the first phase of the project: a feasibility study and technical assignments for further work. At the second stage, the possible cost will be determined, a model of the future storage system and a roadmap will be created with a list of all necessary measures for the implementation of the joint project.
Ukrenergo notes that the project is of a great importance for the future development of the Ukrainian energy sector and the integration of the domestic energy system into the energy system of continental Europe, since one of the requirements is to ensure the required amount of primary frequency control.
In addition, over the past few years, there has been an increase in wind and solar power generation in Ukraine, which will require the construction of additional highly maneuverable capacities that meet the environmental requirements of European countries.
“The start of cooperation with RTE, the leading player in the European market, the implementation of a complicated and innovative energy storage project is a significant step towards our European integration and the strengthening of Ukraine’s energy security,” Ukrenergo Head Vsevolod Kovalchuk said.
The share of vacant space in the market of shopping centers in Kyiv in the fourth quarter of 2018 for the first time in the last two years has stabilized at 3.7%, the press service of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) consulting company in Ukraine has said.
“The cessation of decline in the vacancy rate is due to the achievement of a temporary equilibrium in the market of shopping centers in Kyiv. After a significant increase in the first half of the year (by 20%) to almost the pre-crisis level of $1,140 per sq m a year, rental rates have also stabilized,” Yekateryna Vesna, the head of the retail space department at JLL (Ukraine), said.
According to the company, over the year the vacancy rate in the capital market decreased by 1.9 percentage points and amounted to 3.7%.
“At the same time, in comparison with other European capitals, rental rates in Kyiv remain relatively low: for example, the maximum rental rate in Warsaw is higher by 55%, in Prague by 80%. The relatively low cost of premises together with the growth of public purchasing power contributed to sustainable demand from international retailers in the Ukrainian market. This was also supported by the desire of lessors to increase the presence of well-known global brands in their facilities,” the expert said.
