The Ukrainian insurance market in the volume of insurance premiums collected in 2017 in foreign currency equivalent was 61st in the world, and in the pace of growth it was among the top ten most dynamic global markets, member of the National Commission for Financial Service Markets Regulation Oleksandr Zaletov has said, speaking at the 18th International Financial Forum in Odesa last week. He said that over the past 10 years the insurance companies of Ukraine have made insurance payments in claims to the population and enterprises in the amount of more than UAH 67 billion, of which UAH 5.5 billion was recovered through cooperation with leading foreign reinsurers and reinsurance brokers from Switzerland, the U.K., Germany, Poland, Austria, the United States, France and other countries.
This year, as in previous years, in all segments of the insurance market, there has been a trend towards an increase in the volume of services provided.
In January-June 2018, net insurance premiums increased by 24% and amounted to UAH 16.7 billion, net insurance payments – by 27%, to UAH 5.9 billion.
The size of insurance reserves accumulated by insurers amounted to about UAH 24 billion (an increase of 15.4%). Against a 14.5% decrease in the volume of reinsurance, the amount of reinsurers’ compensation in insurance payments increased by 58.6%.
In H1 2018, over 36.6 million insurance contracts were concluded with individuals (an increase of 8.2%), apart from compulsory personal transport accidents insurance, the number of contracts increased by 12.8%, to 65.5 million.
Endowment life insurance covers over 738,000 citizens, which insurance premiums reach some UAH 8.1 billion. Investment income in the amount of UAH 334 million was received from these premiums.
The total amount of funds insurers placed in banks exceeded UAH 15.4 billion, or 65% of the funds of nonbank financial institutions deposited in banks.
Over UAH 6.5 billion, or 28% of the funds invested in this financial instrument by domestic enterprises (apart from banks) were invested by insurers in government domestic loan bonds.
Households of Ukraine in January-June 2018 concluded insurance contracts for a total amount of UAH 8.6 billion, which is 22.7% more than for the same period in 2017.
Ukraine’s Finance Ministry in 2019 plans to place eurobonds for the amount of UAH 102.9 billion or $3.5 billion on the foreign loan market, taking into account the forecast hryvnia exchange rate to the U.S. dollar.
The figures are outline in bill No. 9000 on the national budget for 2019 registered by the Verkhovna Rada on September 15, 2018.
According to the document, the securities’ maturity term would be from five to 15 years.
In addition, the Finance Ministry expects that the ministry would raise UAH 1.47 billion from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development under the Social Safety Nets Modernization Project and UAH 18.375 billion of the macro-financial assistance from the European Union.
The total volume of domestic borrowings is planned at the level of UAH 202 billion, including UAH 6 billion thanks to the placement of nine-month government domestic loan bonds, UAH 8 billion – eight-month bonds, UAH 10 billion – one-year bonds, UAH 19 billion for three-month bonds pegged to the national currency. Another UAH 13 billion will be attracted through the placement of five-year government domestic loan bonds, UAH 58.694 billion – three-year and UAH 87.325 billion – two-year bonds (all – in the national or foreign currency).
Repayment of the principal of the state debt next year is planned in the amount of UAH 272.247 billion, including UAH 121.767 billion for external debt.
In addition, UAH 145.205 billion will be assigned to servicing the state debt, including UAH 56.44 billion for external one.
Ukraine has fulfilled a major part of conditions for receiving the first tranche of macro-financial assistance (MFA) from the European Union in the amount of EUR 500 million, acting Finance Minister of Ukraine Oksana Markarova has said.
“Most of the conditions for the first tranche have already been fulfilled. Some of them are in the process of implementation at the final stage. I think getting the first tranche is realistic enough,” she told Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of the 15th YES Conference organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Kyiv.
“The question is about reaching agreements with the IMF, which are also important for the MFA. We are working on this too, as soon as there is, I hope, a positive solution, then we will be able to [to get the MFA],” Markarova said.
Commenting on the specific conditions for the first tranche of the MFA, she said that the Finance Ministry had already approved seven general tax consultations since July.
“After we approved amendments to the Tax Code that enable the Finance Ministry to render these consultations, we did not actively use this tool. It’s my personal priority,” Markarova said.
She said that some legislative requirements are differently interpreted by tax offices in regions and courts, and the role of these generalized consultations is to provide equal interpretation, therefore, the ministry will use this tool.
Asked about the fulfillment of the requirement to ensure effective verification of information on beneficiaries in the public register, Markarova said that this requirement has already been practically fulfilled, as it is prescribed.
“This is a matter of changing the legal acts. There is already a clear understanding of what needs to be changed in the regulatory framework to make this possible. I think we will fulfill this condition,” the acting minister said, adding that there is no need for legislative amendments.
At the same time, she said that, in general, the verification of beneficiaries is a very complex issue. Markarova said that there is no country that can show how it works, in particular, this is a new experience for European partners of Ukraine.
The acting minister also said that the draft national budget for 2019 announced all the required funds for the work of the High Anti-Corruption Court.
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
