KYIV. March 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Vega launch vehicle (LV) with the Ukrainian engine was successfully launched on Tuesday from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The Sentinel-2B Earth observation satellite for Copernicus was put into orbit.
According to a report on the website of Pivdenmash (Yuzhmash, Dnipro), the launch from the spaceport in French Guiana was the ninths launch under the Vega program and first in 2017.
According to the report, the Sentinel-2B satellite is the fourth satellite launched for Copernicus.
Copernicus (earlier GMES) is a global environment monitoring system aimed at achieving a global, continuous, autonomous, high quality, wide range Earth observation capacity.
The Vega was designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) for carrying satellites with a weight up to 1,200 kilos to a 1,200-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit and satellites with a weight of 1,500 kilograms to a 700-kilometer polar orbit. The RD-868P cruise engine for the fourth stage of the rocket was developed by the Yuzhnoye (Pivdenne) Design Bureau and built by the Yuzhmash (Pivdenmash) Plant (both situated in the city of Dnipro, Ukraine).
The Ukrainian government and the ESA signed an agreement on cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space in 2008. The ESA unites 17 European countries.
The medium-term plans announced by the Ukrainian State Space Agency in 2015 include Ukraine’s gradual entry into the ESA and integration of the Ukrainian rocket and space industry with the European one.
KYIV. March 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine’s alcohol company Olymp is looking for an investor to finish construction of the second phase of Malinowski Glass Plant and converting the facilities of the screwing cap plant (both based in Kharkiv region).
“The Malynivka industrial park [Prime distillery, Malinowski Glass Plant and the screwing cap plant] is the only cluster in Ukraine of this type. Diversity and unrestricted possibilities of the industrial park foresee permanent development and search for investors,” Olymp Board Chairman Mykola Usachev told Interfax-Ukraine.
Olymp was founded in April 2000. It produces and sells vodka under the Prime, Idea, Malynivka and Istynna brands. The founder and owner of Olymp is businessman Pavlo Klymets.
KYIV. March 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The regional department of Ukraine’s State Property Fund (SPF) has put 99.998% of the share capital of public joint-stock company Spektr-Smela (Cherkasy region), a upholstered furniture fitments producer, up for sale.
According to an announcement in the Vidomosti Pryvatyzatsii newspaper, the initial price of the stake is UAH 36.719 million. The auction will be held on March 31.
According to the conditions of the tender, technological unity and integrity of production are to be retained, new types of products are to be developed and arrears in payments to budgets and payment of wages cannot be recorded.
The fund said that in 2016 sales of the company grew by 17%, to UAH 14.9 million. The balance sheet profit was UAH 1.73 million compared to UAH 700,000 a year ago, and net profit totaled UAH 1.42 million compared to UAH 570,000.
The company’s receivables as of January 1, 2017 was UAH 3.85 million, and accounts payable – UAH 3.53 million, production efficiency was 9.5%. The cost of assets amounted to UAH 34.7 million and the net worth – UAH 32 million.
Spektr-Smela was founded in 1995. The company produces mechanisms for transforming sofas, furniture brackets, hinges, corners, wheel supports, carcasses of sofas and beds, as well as tooling. It also provides metal processing services.
KYIV. March 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The International Finance Corporation (IFC) from the World Bank Group could provide EUR 20 million for its own account and up to EUR 20 million of a syndicated or mobilized financing to public joint-stock company Ukrplastic (Kyiv).
The project is intended to expand and modernize the group’s operating capacities as well as strengthen its balance sheet through re-profiling of its debt portfolio, IFC said on its website.
The IFC Board will discuss the project on May 12, 2017.
The project cost is approximately EUR 60 million.
The project sponsor is Immer Group, a leading supplier of flexible plastic packaging for consumer goods, the owner of Ukrplastic.
IFC said that Immer Group is a 100% family owned business with facilities in Kyiv, Ukraine and Ventspils, Latvia. The group is presently owned by Irina Mirochnik and her three daughters. Ukrplastic’s main facilities are located in Kyiv. The site occupies an area of 11.3 ha, housing 34 buildings with a total built-up area of 74,000 square meters.
The company developed an additional new plastic packaging and processing plant, Immer Digital located in Ventspils. This was very strategic for the company to increase its market base and supply to its customers in Europe and new markets. The plant became operational as of February 2017. This facility, includes limited operations such as digital printing, solvent-less lamination, solvent based and water based lamination and coating, pouch making, manufacturing of label and thermo-shrinkable label, whereas the main ingredients such as BOPP film are supplied from Ukrplastic’s Kyiv operations.
In addition, the company is supported by distribution warehouses used to store the product and for delivery to clients. The company currently has 15 warehouses on site in Kyiv and 11 warehouses in Russia, Europe and Ukraine.
The proposed project entails investment in development of new products, including products for the agricultural sector; refinancing of some loans coming due and investment in the company’s Latvian entity. Specific use of proceeds will be for: equipment for recuperation and reclamation of used solvents in liquid form and solvent vapors; new lamination equipment for specialty packaging; and new roto-printer, enabling higher flexibility.
Ukrplastic is the largest manufacturer of flexible plastic packaging for consumer goods in Eastern Europe.
KYIV. March 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The largest VAT refunds recipient in January and February 2017 were Kernel-Trade sunflower oil exporter with UAH 2.194 billion (UAH 764 million), the State Treasury Service has reported.
Mariupol Illich Steel Works and Azovstal, part of Metinvest Group, follow it with UAH 895 (UAH 382.5 million) and UAH 856.3 million (UAH 703.1 million).
Nibulon with UAH 756.9 million (UAH 694.1 million) and Evraz DMZ with UAH 731.1 million (no refunds in December).
Some UA 677 million (UAH 700 million) was refunded to Suntrade, UAH 676.9 million (UAH 2.577 billion) to ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, UAH 504 million (UAH 884.2 million to ADM Trading Ukraine, UAH 434.6 million (UAH 1.24 billion to Cargill) and UAH 302.9 million (UAH 244.1 million) to State Food-Grain Corporation.
In January-February 2017, UAH 17.01 billion of VAT wad refunded and it was 6.6% more than in January and February 2016. In January only UAH 30 million was refunded, and the sum was paid in several tranches early and late February.
In December 2016 VAT refunding totaled record-breaking UAH 15.96 billion after a decline to UAH 6.11 billion in November.
According to the State Fiscal Service, in 2016 UAH 94.3 billion of VAT was refunded in Ukraine. This was 37.9% up on 2015 and 87.8% up on 2014.
KYIV. March 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Another five Ukrainian enterprises engaged in food production in 2017 received the right to export their goods to the European Union, the Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food has said.
According to a report on its website, goods will be delivered to the European market by a company producing dairy goods, a company producing poultry and three companies producing honey.
Currently talks are being held with respect to supplies of Ukrainian goods to the world markets. In particular, Ukraine provided Japan, Singapore, Korea, the United States and Canada with the information on the system of state control with the aim of getting access to the market of poultry. Talks are also being held with China on expanding the list of exporters of dairy products, as well as with respect to applying for the opening of poultry and beef markets.
In addition, talks with Jordan are at the final stage. The parties are finalizing veterinary certificates for exports of chilled/frozen beef. Ukraine and Egypt have agreed the form of veterinary certificates for exports of chilled/frozen boneless beef.
In addition, Ukraine has agreed the form of veterinary certificates for exports of poultry to Serbia, and is holding talks with the European Union on the issue of extending the list of exporters of food and feed.
