KYIV. Dec 25 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The budget of Kyiv and the program of socio-economic development for 2016 within the program “The upgrading of cities, towns and villages” foresee funds in the amount of UAH 988.312 million, of which UAH 612.56 million at the expense of the general fund, another UAH 375.751 million from the special fund of the national budget.
According to the press service of Kyiv City Council, of the total funding for the program UAH 435.954 million will be allocated for the repairs of the road network and facilities, another UAH 122.54 million for the overhauls of the road infrastructure.
In addition, the city authorities intend to spend UAH 251.319 million on the improvement and maintenance in a proper condition of green spaces in the city and the urban areas next year, states the report.
According to the city council, a total of UAH 120.038 million of the capital budget will be used for the maintenance and operation of external illumination networks, as well as their repairs and the purchase of the relevant equipment, UAH 58.204 million for the maintenance and operation of pump-room complexes, urban cemeteries and the repair of landslide protection waterworks.
KYIV. Dec 25 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian parliament has revoked the additional import duty of 5-10% from January 1, 2016 under a proposal of the government.
A total of 268 lawmakers supported bill No. 3533 on Thursday.
The parliament authorized the government to introduce the additional import duty for the period of one year in the law of December 28, 2014. The document took effect only on February 25, 2015 after the publication of the cabinet resolution on the completion of consultations with international financial organizations on the introduction of temporary measures to stabilize the country’s balance of payment.
The law foresaw the introduction of a 10% duty on finished food, fats, vegetable oil and butter, alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, tobacco, vinegar, live animals (goods groups 1-24 under the Ukrainian foreign trade code). The 5% duty is imposed on any other goods, apart from vitally important goods, including energy goods and some drugs.
The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on July 29, 2015 confirmed that the additional import duty imposed by Ukraine is in line with the WTO agreements.
KYIV. Dec 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv) in 2015 will increase passenger transportation by 26% or 1 million people, to 4.8 million passengers, UIA President Yuriy Miroshnykov has said.
“The most pleasant is that this is more than in 2013 – we hit our record of 2013, the last pre-crisis year. In addition, we made this with less planes and employees,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
He said that the company expects to see profit under IFRS in 2015.
“All our partners – lessors, insurers, banks – demand these indicators from us. Under Ukrainian accounting standards the company will see loss. This is linked to large exchange rate fluctuations, especially in February 2015,” he said.
Commenting on the development in 2015, Miroshnykov said that the airline launched six international flights from Kyiv, including one long-haul Kyiv-Beijing flight, six regional international direct flights, mainly from Lviv and Odesa, two domestic Kyiv-Zaporizhia and Kyiv-Ivano-Frankivsk flights and the airline had experimented with domestic regional flights Lviv-Odesa and Kharkiv-Odesa.
Asked about the plans about passenger transportation in 2016, he said that the airline has the plans and the budget has been approved.
“We hope to exceed the five-million level for passenger flow and reach 5.5 million of passengers. This will be a rise of around 17% compared to 2015,” he said.
However, UIA plans to expand its fleet in 2016 to reach this goal for passenger transportation.
“We expect that six planes will arrive. They will be all Boeing 737-800NG aircraft, one new and five used… We will lose two planes by autumn [the leasing contract will expire]. The average age of UIA’s fleet will remain stable – around 11 years,” he said.
UIA was founded in 1992. It is the largest Ukrainian airline. The base airport is Boryspil airport. UIA’s fleet consists of 31 aircraft: 27 medium-haul and four long-haul aircraft.
KYIV. Dec 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine as of December 22 had exported 20 million tonnes of grain, which is 18% up year-over-year.
According to the website of the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry, referring to Deputy Minister Vladyslava Rutytska, a total of 61 million tonnes of grain crops had been harvested as of December 18, 2015.
“This would allow not only saturating the domestic market, but also improving the last year indicator and export over 36 million tonnes,” she said.
As reported, the ministry expects grain exports in the 2015/2016 marketing year (July-June) at the level of 36.8 million tonnes. The harvest in 2015 is estimated at 61 million tonnes.
Grain exports from Ukraine in 2014/2015 agricultural year tentatively totaled 34.6 million tonnes, including corn in the amount of 18.837 million tonnes. Some 11.234 million tonnes of wheat, 4.46 million tonnes of barley and 280,000 tonnes of other grains were supplied to foreign markets.
KYIV. Dec 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) – OTP Bank (Kyiv) has increased its charter capital by UAH 2.518 billion or 68.6%, to UAH 6.186 billion, the press service of the financial institution has reported.
“OTP Bank has finished the additional capitalization process by UAH 2.518 billion thanks to the conversion of the subordinated debt received from the parent company and thanks to other loans received from the parent company. Thus, after agreeing the documents by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) the charter capital of OTP Bank will be UAH 6.186 billion,” the bank said in a press release.
The bank said that under the capitalization program in Q1 2015 the bank increased its capital by around UAH 1.2 billion via conversion of the subordinated debt and the issue of shares and bonuses authorized by the shareholder. In Q2 2015 the bank paid the subordinated loan of $65 million to international institutions and the charter capital of the Ukrainian subsidiary was increased again.
OTP Bank was founded in 1998. Its sole shareholder is Hungary’s OTP Bank Plc. OTP Bank is part of OPT banking group, which also includes OTP Factoring Ukraine LLC, AMC OTP Capital, OTP Leasing LLC, and OTP Credit LLC.
OTP Bank ranked 13th among 123 banks operating in the country on October 1, 2015 by total assets (UAH 23.055 billion), according to the NBU.
KRAMATORSK. Dec 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Donetsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry has opened the Export-UA center in Kramatorsk, the press service of the regional military-civilian administration reported on Tuesday.
First Deputy Head of the Donetsk regional military-civilian administration Yevhen Vilinsky, President of the Donetsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry Elvira Sevostyanenko and First Vice President and Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine Mykhailo Nepran took part in the opening of the project aimed at supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The press service said that the Export-UA center is the results of joint work of Ukraine, the Japanese government and the UN Development Program (UNDP).
Vilinsky said that support of SMEs is among top-priorities of the region. He expressed hope that in the future the training cycle for Ukrainian businessmen jointly with UN and the EU will be realized.
“We’ve put a great deal of effort for the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU. It will be in effect from 2016, and we face serious challenges to enter the European market,” Vilinsky said.
“The things that the Donetsk Chamber of Commerce is doing coincide with our strategic tasks. SMEs often do not have financial or human resources for development, and these projects aims at helping businessmen to work and develop in the current conditions,” Nepran said.
Sevostyanenko said that the main goal of the Export-UA center is systemic support of business without politics.
Director of Export-UA Halyna Perepelytsia said that only 40% of businessmen in the region are ready to export their goods. The problem is the absence of skilled marketing specialists in the region. The services of existing marketing companies are very expenses, and small businessmen cannot afford them.
