The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to apply to PJSC Insurance Company Salamandra (Kiev) a measure of influence in the form of revocation of all licenses, according to the regulator’s website.
Also, in compliance with the requirements of the law “On Insurance”, in connection with the presence of the company’s obligations under insurance (reinsurance, coinsurance) contracts on May 14, 2024 decided to appoint a temporary administration in PJSC “IC “Salamandra” and removal of the governing bodies from the management of the company.
These decisions have been taken according to the results of planned inspection, conducted in October-December 2023, during which it was established the fact of realization by IC of risk activity, threatening the interests of creditors and insurers, namely formation of insurance reserves in insufficient amount (more than 10% of their sufficient amount, determined by the legislation of Ukraine) three times during the calendar year.
The decision on application of the measure of influence came into force on May 14, 2024.
After taking this decision, the temporary administrator should immediately begin to fulfill his duties, is noted in the message.
IC “Salamandra” (formerly – “DIM Insurance”) is part of the eponymous non-banking financial group, the ultimate beneficiary and owner of which is Yuri Yavtushenko.
IC Salamandra is a member of the Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine.
Number of unemployed in Ukraine and job opportunities, 2023-2024
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
On Wednesday, the Polish Parliament adopted amendments to the law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens, which, in particular, provide for the extension of the legal stay of Ukrainians in the country, according to the website of the Polish channel RFT24.
“The adoption of these amendments was recommended by the parliamentary committee on administration and internal affairs. In accordance with the committee’s recommendation, the MPs rejected a number of Confederation amendments and the PiS amendment. The adopted amendments relate to the extension by four months of the deadline for filing applications for the right to practice the profession of doctor, dentist, nurse and midwife, as well as the recognition of certificates from citizens of a country that has terminated the international agreement on their mutual recognition,” the statement said.
The amendment to the Law on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine provides, among other things, for the extension of the legal stay for Ukrainians who have been assigned a Ukr Pesel number until September 30, 2025, the preservation of payments for the next year and compulsory school education for Ukrainian children. The law also introduces new rules for confirming the identity of a Ukrainian citizen applying for a Pesel number. The only way to prove your identity is to present a valid travel document.
The amendment also specifies a maximum 36-month period during which students can attend additional free Polish language lessons. The decision will apply to students who started attending classes in 2022/23 and 2023/24. The resolution also expands access to medical, family and social benefits, allowances and the possibility of living in collective accommodation.
“The resolution also stipulates that starting from July 1, funding for accommodation and meals for refugees from Ukraine in a particularly difficult situation will be possible only on the basis of a signed agreement with a local voivode or a local government body acting on the basis of a voivode’s order. The rules for participation in the costs of accommodation and meals in collective centers will also change, making the payment of the subsidies due more efficient than now,” the statement said.
The law also provides for the abolition of benefits related to the compensation of refugees’ accommodation and food costs incurred by owners of private premises. As of July 1, the payment of one-time cash benefits in the amount of 300 zlotys will also be discontinued.
During the committee meeting, Deputy Minister of Education Ioanna Mukha noted that the amendment is related to the recent suspension in Belarus of issuing documents confirming the passing of the final exam to its citizens abroad. She said that refugees from Belarus cannot study in Poland without a high school diploma. She added that about five thousand Belarusian citizens are in this situation, but this may also apply to citizens of other countries.
The law, with the exception of some provisions, will come into force on July 1. It will now be discussed by the Senate (the upper house of the Polish parliament).
According to Ukrainians, the countries of the Arab world are neutral in the Russian-Ukrainian war. This was revealed by a joint study by Active Group and the Experts Club think tank, “Attitudes of Ukrainians toward the Middle East and Central Asia,” which was presented at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.
“The analysis includes a predominantly positive attitude of our citizens towards such countries as Israel (72.5%) and Turkey (55%), while the attitude towards other countries in the region is mostly neutral. Ukrainians are extremely negative about Iran (76%) and mostly negative about Afghanistan (52.6%),” said Oleksandr Poznyi, director of the research company Active Group.
In addition, the expert added that Ukrainians are mostly positive about countries with which they have trade or cultural ties. This is natural, as such ties promote mutual respect between societies and countries.
In his turn, Andriy Yeremenko, founder of the research company Active Group, emphasized that the attitude of Ukrainians towards the Middle East and Central Asia varies depending on many factors.
“We can see that the attitude of citizens is really certain only in relation to two countries – Iran and Israel. These are the countries where the percentage of those who find it difficult to answer is less than 20%. The rest of the countries have a much higher percentage of uncertainty, which indicates that Ukrainians are not well informed about these countries,” emphasized Eremenko.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club think tank, added that building cooperation with the Middle East and Central Asia is very important for the development of the Ukrainian economy, especially in the agricultural and IT sectors. These industries have great potential for development and can become the basis for a mutually beneficial partnership.
“It is necessary to implement a state strategy to reduce the trade deficit and increase Ukraine’s export potential. This will create a more balanced and sustainable economy that will be less dependent on external factors. Ukraine may be interested in agricultural products, IT clusters, and educational services. We are interested in sales markets, agricultural technologies, metallurgy, and chemistry,” Urakin emphasized.
According to him, trade between Ukraine and the countries under study is currently growing rapidly.
“Turkey is the largest trading partner among the countries of the Middle East and Central Asia, accounting for more than half of all trade with these countries. This shows the importance of Turkey for the Ukrainian economy,” the founder of Experts Club added.
According to Urakin, a balanced foreign economic policy in the region can not only significantly improve Ukraine’s relations with Middle Eastern countries, but also have a positive impact on the overall state of the economy.
The results of the study are available here.
ACTIVE GROUP, ALEXANDER POZNIY, ANDREY EREMENKO, CENTRAL_ASIA, ECONOMICS, EXPERTS CLUB, MAXIM URAKIN, MIDDLE_EAST, POLL, SOCIOLOGY
Ukrainian ports handled 37.7 million tons in January-April, up 1.7 times compared to the same period in 2023, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reported on Facebook on Wednesday.
In April, port operators handled 9.9 million tons of cargo in seaports, almost twice as much as in the same period in 2023, the USPA said in a statement.
It is indicated that the largest share in April is the processing of grain cargo – 6.3 million tons against 3.9 million tons in 2023.
The cargo turnover of the Black Sea ports, thanks to the Ukrainian sea corridor, amounted to 7.7 million tons in April, of which 5.1 million tons were the products of Ukrainian farmers, the report says.
Earlier it was reported that since August 2023, the sea corridor created by the Navy has exported almost 45 million tons of cargo to 44 countries.
In 2023, Metinvest Group’s Central, Ingulets and Northern Mining and Processing Plants (GOKs) implemented investment projects aimed at ensuring the stability of production processes and overhauling machinery and equipment, using a total of UAH 2.3 billion.
According to the company’s press release, last year, Metinvest’s Kryvyi Rih mining enterprises invested in projects to improve productivity, product quality, ensure the smooth operation of key equipment, and reduce the cost of producing iron ore.
The main projects implemented last year at Pivdennyi GOK included the modernization of sections and the installation of a new economical engine on the 2TE10M diesel locomotive, which is used to transport ore from the Pervomaisky open pit to the first crushing plant. It also includes the installation of roller screens for raw pellets at the LURGI-552A roasting machine to maintain competitive positions in the European iron ore market.
To ensure that the concentrate moisture content is met, a new vacuum filter was installed at Ore Dressing Plant No. 1 and a vacuum pump was replaced at Ore Dressing Plant No. 2.
Last year, Central GOK completed an important energy efficiency project. Pumping equipment was replaced at the facilities of the sludge management and technical power supply shops to reduce electricity costs. The company also launched a project to build a complex of treatment equipment to provide the plant’s facilities with drinking water.
The report emphasizes that even in the midst of the war, the program to improve working conditions at the plant continues. Repairs were carried out in the canteens of the Petrovsky open pit, crushing and concentrating plants. The crusher’s administrative and amenity building had its showers overhauled.
Last year, the bulk of capital investments at Ingulets Mining and Processing Plant were directed to projects to maintain production capacity, namely the reconstruction of the tailings dump. To ensure the smooth operation of the technological chain for the extraction and production of concentrate, the plant is preparing additional tanks for storing production residues.
Another major project of the year, which will ensure the development of mining operations at InGOK, concerned the rebuilding of railway tracks at the open pit horizons and the extension of the open pit and dump railroad dead ends.
A significant portion of the GOK’s investments was directed to overhauling machinery and equipment. To ensure uninterrupted mining and transportation of rock mass, the enterprises repaired dump trucks, bulldozers, dump trucks, motor-wheel sets, railway tracks and switches. Crushing and processing plants overhauled sections, crushers, dredgers, grab cranes, floors and fencing structures.
To maintain pellet production at the required level, the roasting machines LURGI 552 A and LURGI 552 B at Northern GOK and OK-324 at the pelletizing plant of Central GOK were shut down for repairs. At the same time, the companies implemented a number of projects to save energy, organize a safe working environment, maintain infrastructure facilities, etc.
“In total, in 2023, Kryvyi Rih GOKs utilized a total of UAH 2.3 billion in investments to maintain production capacity. During the war in 2022-2023, Metinvest Group was recognized by Forbes Ukraine as one of the largest Ukrainian investors. The company’s capital investments during that time amounted to UAH 22.7 billion. Currently, Metinvest’s investment strategy is focused on maintaining the operability of its assets,” the press release states.
As reported earlier, Metinvest is implementing a new model for its Kryvyi Rih mining operations by uniting its mining and processing plants in Kryvyi Rih under a single management.
“Given the current challenges, with no objective way to bring the workload of the GOKs to the optimal level, we are looking for the effect of combining their capabilities and business processes. To this end, the company sees its GOKs not as separate facilities with separate teams, but as one large production site and one large team, and tries to use the advantages of each GOK in a single technological chain. The creation of a single administrative and management center, so to speak, a consolidated GOK, will significantly simplify, speed up and increase the efficiency of these processes, as well as contribute to the creation of new synergies between the enterprises,” explained Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest, earlier.
“Metinvest comprises mining and metallurgical enterprises located in Ukraine, Europe and the United States. Its major shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage it.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
