KYIV. Aug 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – As part of the program of financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ukraine has pledged to implement a number of urgent measures for combating corruption.
According to the updated memorandum between Ukraine and the IMF, Kyiv pledges to ensure the activities of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NAB), to provide it with timely access to relevant information from other public institutions by end-September 2015.
The Ukrainian government also promised to ensure the transparent elections of the head of the anti-corruption prosecutors on a competition basis. Kyiv also promised not to make any changes to the Law on Prosecutor’s Office concerning the procedure of appointment of without agreeing them with the IMF.
The Ukrainian government will also ensure that the NAB is fully operational by end-January 2016, allocation of necessary infrastructure (e.g., hardware; software; access to administrative, law enforcement, and commercial databases; vehicles; special tools; investigative material), supported by the appropriate budgetary allocation if necessary, operation of a hotline, including back office to identify cases deserving pre-trial investigation.
Kyiv also pledged to implement the anti-money laundering (AML) framework. The NBU will develop risk-based off-site and on-site AML supervisory tools, focusing on risks related to domestic politically exposed persons, by end-December 2015.
Kyiv also plans to implement asset disclosure requirements for high-level officials. By end-December 2015, the Ministry of Justice will ensure that applicants and newly appointed officials to high-level positions under the NAB’s jurisdiction file their asset disclosures electronically.
In line with legislation, all high-level officials will report their assets electronically by end-April 2016. The disclosures will be directly and freely available to the public on a single website shortly after submission.
By end-December 2015, a law will be adopted which strengthens the provisions in the Code of Civil Procedure on order for payment for domestic transactions and on garnishment of bank accounts.
The updated memorandum envisages that as part of education reforms the number of schools will be reduced by 5% after the end of the 2015-2016 academic year. Expected savings will be reinvested in the sector to upgrade the school and class infrastructure and support student transportation.
KYIV. Aug 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The yield of sunflower seeds in Ukraine is projected to reach 10.3 million tonnes, head of the Ukrainian Weather Center’s agrometeorological department Tetiana Adamenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.
“We think the crop capacity will be about 20.1 centners [one metric centner equals 100 kg] per hectare, and the gross yield could reach 10.3 million tonnes. We should proceed from the fact that the areas under sunflower crops this year are about 5 million hectares, which is less than in 2014 when it was 5.2 million hectares, and in 2013 it was 5 million hectares,” she said.
According to her, this year’s harvest will remain almost unchanged compared to last year, when Ukraine harvested about 10 million tonnes.
She also confirmed that the maize yield forecast is set at 26-27 million tonnes. She added that high temperatures in some regions could make farmers gather maize for silage, however she did not give more details about the size of the maize crops which could be used for silage.
In her words, there will be a favorable period after August 20 for sowing winter rapeseeds, but there could be a delay due to the absence of rain, which may affect any future harvest.
The gross yield of soybeans is expected to reach last year’s level. It may be a little higher than 3.8 million tonnes due to an increase in areas sown with soybeans.
As reported, the Ukrainian Weather Center forecast that the gross yield of grain in Ukraine in 2015 will reach 60.5 million tonnes.
KYIV. August 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – State enterprise Antonov (Kyiv) has introduced a modern product lifecycle management (PLM) system for new aircraft models based on Siemens PLM software, which uses the “without drawings” technology, which is based on 3D models, the press service of the company has reported.
“The use of modern digital technologies in the creation and maintenance of complex technical objects like aircraft is the requirement of time, a prerequisite for the successful integration of the enterprise into the world aircraft industry,” the press service said, citing Antonov Acting President Mykhailo Hvozdev.
He said that Antonov experts have developed a normative and methodological base of electronic projects and have formed a database of electronic models of standard, unified, purchased components (about 300,000), as well as other materials used.
“In this direction we have been successfully cooperating with Siemens for three years and are ready to continue this cooperation,” he said.
Antonov has for the first time fully used the new technology in the design and building of the first prototype of the transport An-178 aircraft.
“It allows for reducing costs for implementing the program, significantly reduce the terms and improve the quality of manufacturing certain components and aircraft as a whole,” the report said.
KYIV. Aug 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian economy is showing signs of stabilization, however to restore economic growth it is crucial to continue the current balanced policy and structural and institutional reforms, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said.
“The Ukrainian economy remains fragile, but encouraging signs are emerging. In recent months, the exchange rate has stabilized, domestic-currency retail deposits have been increasing, and the pace of economic decline is moderating. Continued prudent policies and further reforms should allow the economy to turn the corner and growth to resume in the period ahead,” the IMF press service reported, citing IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton who was speaking after the IMF Executive Board’s discussed the issue of the second tranche of the EFF program for Ukraine.
“Restoring a sound banking system is the key for economic recovery. To this end, the strategy to strengthen banks through recapitalization, reduction of related-party lending, and resolution of impaired assets should be implemented decisively,” he said.
“Maintaining an appropriately tight monetary policy and building up official foreign exchange reserves will be critical to entrenching external stability and anchor inflation expectations. As disinflation takes root, monetary policy can be carefully eased to support economic activity. Removal of administrative measures on foreign exchange operations should proceed in a gradual and sequenced manner, once the enabling conditions are in place,” Lipton said.
KYIV. Aug 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian associations of automobile (Ukrautoprom) and agricultural machinery building (Ukragromash), jointly with the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, are combing their efforts to revive the industry on the basis of cooperation between research institutions and producing enterprises, promoting the technical level and competitiveness of agricultural and wheel transport equipment.
Ukrautoprom President Mykhailo Reznik said at a press conference that a coordination center for the innovative development of domestic agricultural and motor engineering was created for this purpose.
“The idea is to unite efforts with agricultural machinery producers having similar problems. For instance, today 80% of both car market and agro machinery market is occupied with imported vehicles, while we are losing competitiveness. The highest agricultural import of agro machinery is from China,” he said.
According to him, industrial cooperation is planned within the framework discussed at Zaporizhia Automobile Plant (ZAZ) and PJSC Chervona Zirka.
“Chervona Zirka has a new foundry line, and we have direct links with China, for example,” Reznik said.
He noted that there are also grounds for such cooperation because of the fact that up to 90% of components in the automotive and agricultural machinery sectors are virtually identical.
KYIV. Aug 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – PJSC State Food and Grain Corporation of Ukraine, as part of its program of spot purchases, has acquired about 545,000 tonnes of grain from farmers for UAH 1.8 billion.
According to a post on the company’s website, since the beginning of the new marketing season it has purchased around 108,000 tonnes of wheat, more than 182,000 tonnes of feed wheat, about 250,000 tonnes of barley and more than 5,000 tonnes of other crops (maize, rapeseeds) on the domestic market under spot contracts.
“Active spot purchases, primarily from agricultural producers, are aimed mainly at providing the trade and export activities of the corporation, as well as downloading its processing enterprises with raw materials,” corporation deputy head Denys Polezhayev said.
According to him, the corporation is conducting procurement in 16 regions. At present, 360 contractors cooperate with the corporation under spot agreements.
