External financing of the state budget as of june 14, 2023, USD bln
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a meeting with the recently independent member of the supervisory board of Kyivstar, former U.S. Secretary of State and ex-CIA chief Mike Pompeo, who arrived in Kiev, the press service of the Office of the Head of State said on Friday evening.
It is noted that Yermak thanked the President of the United States, both houses and parties of the United States Congress and the entire American society for the strong support of Ukraine. He also expressed hope for the continuation of US support, because it is based on common democratic values and respect for international law, which the Ukrainian people defend.
The head of the Office of the President noted the need to send a clear signal to Russia that by its aggression it cannot violate the sovereignty of independent states and determine the fate of other free nations.
Pompeo noted after joining Kyivstar’s nabsociety board that talking about its nationalization would be a step backward because Ukraine will need a huge amount of private sector investment, foreign direct investment, and support from Europe and the private sector in the United States to overcome the effects of the war.
“If property rights, including those of shareholders in the United States, are not protected and companies that benefit the Ukrainian people are not preserved, it would be a strategic mistake for Ukraine and would make rebuilding Ukraine and supporting that country in the years ahead much more difficult and expensive and capital flows much more limited,” the former U.S. secretary of state emphasized.
Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President, KYIVSTAR, MIKE POMPEO
Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Sekierski announced the strengthening of control and intensification of inspections on the border with Ukraine, the press service of the agency said.
“Excessive imports of agricultural products from Ukraine, which do not meet EU production requirements, threaten the competitiveness of Polish agriculture,” the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said in a message published on social network X on Sunday.
At the same time, Poland’s Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak said he would carry out checks at the border crossing at the Jagodin-Dorogusk border crossing on Sunday, while on Saturday he carried out controls at the border in Grubieszów.
“Today’s border control is the result of specific instructions: zero tolerance for any violations. I will stand for Polish farmers and Polish food production. No one will have any doubts that our market is well protected,” Kolodziejczak was quoted as saying by Polish radio RMF24.
Czeslaw Sekierski, inspections on the border with Ukraine, Polish Agriculture Minister
Biosphere Corporation, Ukraine’s largest manufacturer and distributor of household and hygiene products, may acquire Service Pro LLC (Dnipro), which called itself the largest distributor of household and hygiene products in Ukraine in its 2020 report.
According to the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine on its website, it has granted Biosphere permission to purchase over 50% in the capital of Service Pro LLC.
According to Opendatabot data, the ultimate beneficial owner of the LLC with authorized capital is Tetyana Korotash. The company in 2022 reduced its revenue by 33.9% to UAH 2 billion 14.02 million, and its net loss amounted to UAH 21.60 million compared to UAH 103.87 million net profit a year earlier. The LLC had assets of UAH 1.18 billion at the end of 2022.
In the report for 2020, when revenue amounted to UAH 2 billion 712.20 million and net profit of UAH 153.78 million, Service Pro indicated that it represented three main business lines: household goods – the largest selection of products for cleaning in and outside the house, for cooking; personal care products – wet wipes, cotton hygiene products, cosmetic products, intimate hygiene products, paper products and decor; and products for professional use.
In the assortment range of the enterprise there were almost 1000 items of goods, sold both in Ukraine and exported to 30 countries of the world.
“Our ambition is to become the largest manufacturer and distributor of household and hygiene products in Europe, as well as in the perspective of 5 years to enter the markets of North and South America”, – stated then “Service Pro”.
Biosphere Corporation has been operating in Ukraine for more than 25 years. Its products are represented on the markets of 30 countries in Europe and Asia. The product portfolio includes more than 2 thousand items under 13 trademarks “Freken Bok”, Smile, Selpak, Vortex, Novita, PRO service, “LayKit”, Bambik and others.
The corporation’s capacities are represented by four plants with a total production area of 35 thousand square meters in Dnepropetrovsk, Kiev and Khmelnitsky regions, open production in Ternopil, as well as logistics complexes with an area of 30 thousand square meters. m.
The KPD plant in Dnipro, the largest production and logistics complex of the corporation with an area of 34 thousand square meters, produces garbage bags and wet wipes.
Together with the French Groupe Lemoine, Biosphere also owns a plant in Estonia for the production of cotton products with an area of 8.5 thousand sq. m. ADB
BIOSPHERE CORPORATION, manufacturer and distributor of household, Service Pro LLC
In 2023, the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) reimbursed UAH 2.2 billion to the budget and transferred property worth UAH 43.7 billion to the ARMA, said Serhii Kryvun, head of the BES Main Detective Unit.
“As for state expenditures for the maintenance of the Bureau of Economic Security, they amounted to UAH 757 million in 2023. In its turn, during pre-trial investigations in criminal proceedings, the Bureau compensated damages worth over UAH 2.2 billion and seized property of companies and individuals worth over UAH 43 billion. This property has been transferred to the ARMA,” he said in an interview posted on the BES Telegram channel on Saturday.
He named the three most high-profile cases of the BES. “This is the case of Dmytro Firtash. Officials of a number of regional gas companies caused losses to the gas transmission system operator in the amount of more than UAH 4.2 billion in 2021,” Kryvun said.
“The next case we can talk about is the case related to the activities of Ukrtatnafta. It was established that during 2022, since the full-scale invasion, the company’s officials had been abusing their official position and evading taxes. The fact of embezzlement of imported oil resources – Azerbaijani oil – worth more than UAH 2 billion was also established,” added Kryvun.
Another high-profile case, according to him, “is the proceedings in which the clandestine production of consumer goods was discovered in Mezhyhiria Park. Among them were household chemicals and food… During the pre-trial investigation, the circle of people who organized this production was established.”
According to the BES representative, there were also a number of high-profile cases involving the importation of branded goods and cars that were declared as humanitarian aid or aid to the Armed Forces and then appeared on open sale, for example, through OLX.
On Sunday and Monday, a significant avalanche hazard is expected in the highlands of Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia regions, the State Emergency Service warns.
“On February 4-5, a significant avalanche hazard (level 3) is expected in the highlands of Ivano-Frankivsk region, and on February 5, due to the expected thaw and precipitation (wet snow and rain), in the highlands of Zakarpattia region,” the State Emergency Service said in a message posted on its telegram channel on Sunday.
The State Emergency Service asks to refrain from hiking in the mountains these days.
