KHARKIV. May 19 (Interfax-Ukraine – The strategy of development of PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia for 2017-2021 provides for a comprehensive modernization of rolling stock and infrastructure, company chairman Wojciech Balczun has said.
“In the next five years we plan to invest UAH 130-150 billion,” he said at a press conference in Kharkiv.
According to him, in particular, it is planned to upgrade 30% of the fleet of freight cars and locomotives, 45% of passenger carriages.
It is expected investments in the freight transportation sector will amount to more than UAH 28 billion, which will allow buying 20,000 new wagons and modernizing 50,000 already available. In addition, UAH 9 billion is expected to be used to purchase 400 passenger carriages, UAH 11 billion for the purchase of electric trains, UAH 3.5 billion for diesel trains and more than UAH 10 billion for the modernization and repair of the existing rolling stock. As for traction rolling stock, it is planned to purchase more than 200 new locomotives (UAH 30 billion) and modernize the existing ones (UAH 9.5 billion).
The strategy, which the management presented to the staff of the regional branch of PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia, provides for the continuation of reforming the industry by building a vertically integrated structure. In particular, it is planned to create companies not on a regional basis, as it was before, but on the areas of activity: freight transportation and logistics, passenger carriage, infrastructure, traction services, production and service. All these companies are expected to be created during 2017-2019.
KYIV. May 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – KSG agricultural holding is working on a project to sell pigs and jointly grow them in Georgia.
“In Georgia we are working on the project where we plan not only to sell, but also to send pigs there and jointly grow them. We have partners who are ready to invest in this case with us,” Chairman of the supervisory board of KSG Agro Serhiy Kasianov said at a press conference.
He said that recently the company received a document from Georgian authorities that the company is permitted to export pigs for the period until 2018.
“During several weeks we would specify our plans with Georgian partners regarding the active Georgian season,” Kasianov said.
The holding also plans to export pork to Georgia and enter the top five suppliers of pork to this country.
He said that pork production in Ukraine would decline by 10-15% in 2017, and supplies from households would decrease by 50-60%.
“In general, we see large demand. Today we sell even with advance payments. Demand is so high that we cannot satisfy it. Today the orders are twice larger than we are able to produce,” he said.
The holding also seeks to boost sow numbers in the long term outlook to increase pig sales by 10%.
KYIV. May 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The administration of PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region) will raise wages to its workers by 25-70% from May 1 of the current year, plant CEO Paramjit Kahlon has said.
According to a press release from the company, the increase in wages will concern the workers of major professions involved in production processes.
At the same time, the wages lower than UAH 5,000 will be raised by 60-70%, those of UAH 5,000 to UAH 6,000 by 40%, UAH 6,000-7,000 by 35%, UAH 7,000-8,000 by 30%, and UAH 8,000-9,000 by 25%.
There will be no increase in the wages of the administrative staff and the company management.
“We are starting the implementation of a new grade wage system that will objectively take into account the interests of all employees of PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih. We have been working hard to change the system of labor remuneration since the beginning of 2017. And I thank all our employees, trade union organizations for cooperation, help and patience. The decision to raise wages is necessary, but very difficult in the conditions in which the company is currently operating,” the director general said.
KYIV. May 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian businessman, the owner and president of DCH, Oleksandr Yaroslavsky after receiving the results of consideration of his application to buy Ukrainian Prominvestbank (Kyiv) by Russia’s Vnesheconombank (VEB) intends to submit an application to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to get the approval of the acquisition of the bank, DCH said in a press release on Friday.
“Yesterday, on May 18, 2017, the supervisory board of Vnesheconombank discussed the proposal of Yaroslavsky to buy Prominvestbank, the subsidiary bank of VEB in Ukraine,” the press service of DCH said.
Russia’s Kommersant publication reported on Friday that Yaroslavsky is among potential buyers of the bank. The businessman made his proposal to VEB at the end of last week. On May 18, the supervisory board of VEB was informed on the potential buyers. Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev held the meeting of the bank’s supervisory board.
Kommersant recalled that one group of potential investors is known – the developer and founder of MosCityGroup Pavel Fuks and Verkhovna Rada’s MP Maksym Mikitas.
Yaroslavsky told Kommersant that earlier he held talks with Sberbank on the acquisition of its subsidiary in Ukraine, but the seller selected another buyer.
Hungary’s OTP also showed its interest in Prominvestbank, but it was not among potential buyers presented to the board, Kommersant said.
KYIV. May 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Investments in the modernization of production of glass euro bottles by PJSC Consumers-Sklo-Zorya (Rivne region), one of the largest glass container manufacturers in Ukraine – Verallia, amounted to EUR12 million.
“French investors have modernized the production of glass euro bottles at Consumers-Sklo-Zorya for EUR12 million,” Head of Rivne Regional State Administration Oleksiy Muliarenko told the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper.
According to information on the company’s website, investments were made in 2016. In particular, more than EUR10 million was spent on the installation of new equipment in furnace No. 2, which specializes in production of extra flint glass.
“The complete modernization of the three production lines will strengthen Verallia’s position in the market of small and medium-sized producers. The new equipment will strengthen partnership with many customers who have been users of transparent glass packaging for many years,” the company website said.
Consumers-Sklo-Zorya employs 800 employees. The plant produced one million units of goods per day.
The majority shareholder of the company is Germany’s Verallia Deutschland Aktiengesellschaft.
