Business news from Ukraine

OVOSTAR UNION SEES 16% RISE IN EGG PRODUCTION IN H1 2016

KYIV. July 26 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ovostar Union, a leading producer of eggs and egg products in Ukraine, produced 670 million eggs in January-June 2016, and this was 16% up year-over-year, the company has said in a report.

Eggs sales in H1 2016 grew by 12%, to 474 million and exports – by 48%, to 145 million.

The exports share of total sales was 31%.

The group said that average egg selling price during the six months of 2016 increased by 6% to UAH 1.27 per egg compared to UAH 1.20 per egg in the same period previous year.

As at June 30, 2016 the company’s total flock has increased by 21% year-over-year to 7.2 million hens, while the laying hen flocks increased by 27% year-over-year to 5.9 million hens.

In H1 2016, the volume of eggs processed increased by 23% year-over-year to 199 million units.

With increasing demand on liquid egg products from the EU market during the first half of 2016, sales volume of liquid egg products increased by 64% year-over-year to 4,398 tonnes (the share of export in total volume of liquid egg products sold amounted to 30%).

The sales volume of dry egg products remained the same year-over-year and amounted to 925 tonnes, while the export share in total volume of dry egg products sold equaled to 58%. The average selling price of liquid egg products increased by 17% year-over-year to 28.99 UAH/kg; the average selling price of dry egg products increased by 24% year-over-year to 125.90 UAH/kg.

ODESA PORT-SIDE CHEMICAL PLANT SEES 2.8-FOLD RISE IN NET PROFIT IN Q2 2016

KYIV. July 26 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Public joint-stock company Odesa Port-Side Chemical Plant (OPCP) saw a 2.8-fold rise in net profit in April-June 2016 year-over-year, amounting to UAH 174.712 million.

The company has said in a report, its net sales revenue decreased by 43.6% or UAH 1.122 billion, to UAH 1.454 billion, and gross profit – by 76.8% or UAH 318.485 million, to UAH 94.969 million.

In January-June 2016, the plant saw UAH 243.937 million in net loss compared to UAH 151.953 million of net profit year-over-year. Net revenue in H1 2016 fell by 45.3% or UAH 2.628 billion, to UAH 3.172 billion and gross profit – by 81.5% or UAH 869.117 million, to UAH 194.904 million.

State-owned OPCP produces chemical products and transships ammonia to vessels.

RAIFFEISEN BANK AVAL SEES ALMOST UAH 1.5 BLN OF PROFIT IN H1 2016

KYIV. July 26 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Profit of Raiffeisen Bank Aval (Kyiv) totaled UAH 1.456 billion in January-June 2016, while its loss stood at UAH 1.04 billion in H1 2015, the bank has said in a quarterly report.

The bank said that its profit in Q2 2016 amounted to UAH 772.9 million (a rise of 13.1% compared to Q1 2016).

Total assets grew by 4% in H1 2016, to UAH 53.289 billion, including a decline of almost 1.8% in credits and debts if clients, being UAH 24.825 billion.

Total liabilities grew by 1.3% compared to early 2016, to UAH 45.566 billion.

Charter capital did not change, being UAH 6.155 billion, while net worth grew by 23.2% compared to the beginning of 2016, amounting to UAH 7.723 billion.

Raiffeisen bank Aval was founded in 1992.

The bank ranked fifth among 109 operating banks as of April 1, 2016, in terms of assets worth UAH 52.583 billion, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.

UKRAINIAN PM, CHINESE AMBASSADOR AGREE TO HOLD MEETING OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRADE COMMISSION IN KYIV IN 2016

KYIV. July 26 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Du Wei have discussed practical issues on fostering trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The government’s press service reported on Monday that Groysman called for strengthening trade and economic relations, cooperation in the industrial sector, as well as in the investment area.

“We are interested in attracting Chinese investment into Ukraine,” he said.

Groysman said that the Office for Accompanying Investment under auspice of the Prime Minister will be created soon.

“Discussing the issue of full restoration of existing institutional mechanisms of bilateral cooperation, the sides agreed to hold a meeting of the Intergovernmental Trade and Economic Commission by the end of 2016 in Kyiv. Under the proposal of Groysman, a Ukrainian-Chinese business forum will be organized in the framework of this Commission,” the press service said.

Groysman said that “a well prepared session of the Intergovernmental Commission and the business forum could provide the necessary results aimed at enhancing economic cooperation.”

The Ukrainian Prime Minister and the Chinese Ambassador also expressed their support for approving a Ukraine-China Action Plan (the road map) on the joint implementation of the idea to launch the economic belt of the Silk Road as soon as possible.

The prime minister stressed the need to find solutions to the problems in cooperation between the two countries.

Du Wei assured of the willingness of China to develop and deepen cooperation with Ukraine as the strategic character of relations between the two countries requires.

UKRTELECOM SEES 26% RISE IN NET PROFIT IN H1 2016, REVENUE 1.1% UP

KYIV. July 25 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Public joint-stock company Ukrtelecom saw a 1.1% rise in revenue in January-June 2016 year-over-year, to UAH 3.35 billion, the operator said in a report published at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

The company’s net profit in H1 2016 totaled UAH 178 million and this was 26% up year-over-year.

Capital investment grew by 72%, to UAH 113.2 billion, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) – by 2.4%, to UAH 969.6 million. EBITDA margin was up by 0.3 percentage points, to 28.9%.

Total revenue in Q2 2016 slightly fell year-over-year – by 0.5%, to UAH 1.637 billion.

EBITDA in Q2 2016 decreased by 6.3% year-over-year, to UAH 469 million. EBITDA margin decreased by 1.8 percentage points, to 29%.

Ukrtelecom Director Yuriy Kurmiz said at a press conference that in 2016 the company’s revenue from telecom services continue growing. Services worth UAH 950 million were provided to private users and worth UAH 311 million to business consumers, which is 4% and 5% up year-over-year.

Revenue from services provided to operators decreased by 21%, to UAH 234 million. This is linked to the market trends and the reduction of the voice traffic volumes.

Revenue from fixed communications grew by 1.6%, to UAH 805.4 million. Revenue from Internet access and data transfer grew by 11%, to UAH 404 million.

In Q2 2016, the operator paid almost UAH 440 million of taxes and duties to the budgets of all levels.

Ukrtelecom is the largest fixed communications operator in the country. Ultimate owner of Ukrtelecom is SCM Group of businessman Rinat Akhmetov.

KYIV HOSPITALS SAVE 21% OF BUDGET FUNDS ON PROCUREMENT VIA PROZORRO – ACTIVISTS

KYIV. July 25 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Kyiv medical institutions by the beginning of 2016 have saved UAH 25.6 million, or 20.77%, on trades conducted through the ProZorro e-procurement system, according to a press release of Transparency International Ukraine.

According to the organization, since the beginning of 2016 the Kyiv medical institutions have conducted 4,109 tenders, the total amount of contracts signed was UAH 53.8 million. The average number of proposals per procedure is 2.74.

At the same time, activists point out that the Kyiv medical institutions conduct non-transparent procurement and find ways to circumvent the system of ProZorro electronic procurement.

According to non-governmental organizations cited in the press release, 13.8% of procurements made by hospitals in Kyiv are non-transparent. According to data that can be explored through the bi.prozorro internal system, 79% of purchases have low quality ads, and 72.5% low competitive activity.

According to Head of the Eidos Anti-Corruption Center Hlib Kanevsky, hospital procurements often contain a vague description of the purchase items, documents required at the time of filing the bid are missing, as well as the terms of suppliers.