Ukrproduct Group, a large Ukrainian producer of packaged butter, processed cheese and kvass, expects operating profit of about UAH 16.2 million (GBP500,000) in 2017 compared to an operating loss of approximately UAH 7.4 million (GBP200,000) in 2016. “The Ukrainian dairy foods and beverage producer is guiding for revenue of around GBP31 million for 2017, which would be a strong increase on the GBP20.2 million posted in 2016. Operationally, Ukrproduct expects a profit of approximately GBP500,000 after an operating loss of GBP200,000 in 2016, which will boost earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization,” reads a report by Ukrproduct on the website of the London Stock Exchange.
“Despite these improvements, the company is expecting an overall loss due to the negative impact of foreign exchange,” it states.
According to a press release, by the end of 2017 Ukrproduct estimated its net liabilities at UAH 429 million with free cash stocks of UAH 18.7 million. However, after the end of the financial year, the financial situation of the group improved after a new loan agreement for UAH 65 million with Creditwest Bank and the subsequent full repayment of the loan from OTP Bank.
Ukrproduct notes that in 2017 the Ukrainian economy demonstrated the encouraging GDP growth, while wage growth led to an increase in consumer confidence, which improved the trading capacity of the group within the country, despite the continuing competition in the market. In addition, the weakening of the hryvnia provided Ukrproduct with additional opportunities for business development in export markets, the report says.
Regal Petroleum Plc with assets in Ukraine in 2017 saw a net profit of $2.29 million, while in 2016 its net loss was $1.26 million. According to a report by Regal posted on the website of the London Stock Exchange, its revenue in the past year increased by 36.6%, to $35.05 million.
Of this revenue, gas accounted for $24.94 million (a year earlier $16.53 million), condensate for $7.96 million ($5.7 million), and LPG for $2.16 million ($3.43 million).
Taking into account exchange rate differences, Regal’s total profit for 2017 was $1.04 million against the cumulative loss of $7.26 million for 2016.
The company said its operating cash flow in 2017 compared to 2016 grew by 80%, to $18 million, and the average gas price rose from $213 per 1,000 cubic meters to $241 per 1,000 cubic meters, condensate from $51 per barrel to $67 per barrel, LPG from $43 per barrel to $56 per barrel.
Regal notes at the end of 2017 the average daily production of hydrocarbons stood at 2,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), which is about 65% more than at the end of 2016.
At the same time, the company’s capital investments last year fell to $4 million from $13.9 million a year earlier.
Terkuriy-2 LLC (Ternopil region), the owner of the Podoliany shopping and entertainment center with an area of 50,000 square meters, plans in 2019 to begin the construction of the second phase of the facility worth about $15 million.
“We are preparing an updated format, want to increase the trade area by 15,000 square meters, to 55,000 square meters. The total area will be about 80,000 square meters,” director for development at the Podoliany trade center Tetiana Chubak told the agency during the Retail & Development Business Expo 2018 exhibition in Kyiv.
She said that investment in the new area of 50,000 square meters will be about $500 per sq m. Currently, according to the website of the center, the total area of the facility is about 50,000 square meters.
According to Chubak, the project provides for an increase in the number of parking places to 1,500 from 1,300, including a two-level parking lot. The commissioning is planned for 2020.
The Podoliany center at 28Ch Tekstylna Street in Ternopil was opened in 2007.
According to Chubak, attendance of the shopping center last year amounted to 6 million people.
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has passed at first reading bill No. 8125 on concession. A total of 240 lawmakers backed the document on Tuesday. Head of the parliamentary committee for the economic policy Andriy Ivanchuk said that the bill divides regulation of concession and other forms of public private partnership, relaxes the rules of allocating land parcels for concession projects, sets the unified rules of making decisions for all types of public private partnership, including concession. The ownership right to the facility under concession is left to the territorial community, he said.
“According to statistics, the EU has signed concession agreements for EUR 12 billion. This is a modern tool that triggers development of infrastructure,” he said, presenting the bill in parliament. Ivanchuk said that the bill requires revision for second reading, in particular, in relation to the concession tender
