Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) initiated a case against Interpipe industrial group, which includes Interpipe Ukraine LLC and Interpipe NTZ PJSC, on charges of violation of legislation on protection of economic competition through abuse of monopolistic position in the primary commodity sale market.
According to AMCU information on Friday, the case was initiated on November 23.
It specifies that signs of violations consist in unreasonable increase of commodity prices and in establishing different conditions for similar deals with commodity purchasers by the companies of the group without any reasonable grounds.
The Committee found that the Interpipe group has signs of a monopolistic (dominant) position in the nationwide market of primary sale of goods.
“Having analyzed the pricing behavior of the Interpipe group, the Committee did not identify objective reasons (factors) that could be the reason for increasing prices for the group’s goods during the investigated period. In addition, the Committee found no correlation between the dynamics of selling prices of goods and their cost components, in particular – changes in the cost of procurement, changes in wages, etc.,” stated in a press release.
The Committee also found no correlation in the contracts of Interpipe Ukraine LLC between the amount of goods purchased by different buyers and its price under otherwise identical contract conditions.
The press service reminds that in connection with the introduction of martial law in Ukraine, the information on residents of Ukraine in the part concerning the specification of the type of activity is not made public until the end of martial law in Ukraine.
“Interpipe is a Ukrainian industrial company producing seamless pipes and railway wheels. The company’s products are supplied to more than 80 countries worldwide through a network of sales offices located in the key markets of the CIS, the Middle East, North America and Europe. In 2021, the company sold 602 thnd mt of tubes and 174 thnd mt of railroad products. The company sells its railroad products under the KLW brand.
Interpipe has about 10 thsd employees. In 2021 the company paid to the budgets of all levels nearly 3 billion hryvnias.
The company has five industrial assets: “Interpipe Nizhnedniprovsk Tube Rolling Plant (NTZ)”, “Interpipe Novomoskovsk Tube Plant (NMTZ)”, “Interpipe Niko-Tube”, “Dnepropetrovsk Vtormet” and electric steelmaking complex “Dneprostal” branded “Interpipe Steel”.
The ultimate owner of Interpipe Limited is Ukrainian businessman Viktor Pinchuk and his family members.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a $500 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
Taras Melnychuk, representative of the Cabinet in the Verkhovna Rada, said in Telegram on Friday that the relevant decision was made at the government meeting on Friday.
In particular, it was deemed appropriate to attract a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development as the fourth additional funding for the project “Support for Public Expenditure to Ensure Sustainable Public Administration in Ukraine” in the amount of $500 million.
Travel planning service Omio found out which European cities are most affordable for tourists in terms of prices for the services, tours, food and drinks they need.
The study took into account the prices of visits to museums, guided tours and cityseeing buses, visiting restaurants, pubs and nightclubs, fast food establishments, the cost of beer, 24-hour transport tickets and the availability of free drinking fountains in the city.
The first places in the ranking of European cities, where all these costs will be lowest, were taken by Granada (Spain), Bruges (Belgium), Venice (Italy). Also in the top ten are Edinburgh (Scotland), Innsbruck (Austria), Cambridge (UK), Seville and Malaga (Spain), Florence (Italy). Most of the high places were taken by the cities of Spain.
As the study shows, museums today are one of the most expensive expenditure items for travelers. For example, entry to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam or the Tower of Pisa will cost more than 20 euros, and in the Sistine Chapel – almost 18. Nevertheless, there are cities that offer to visit many, including popular museums for free.
Topped the rating of such cities Rome, where there are more than 553 attractions with free admission, including the famous Roman Pantheon. Second place went to London, where there are 95 free museums, including the Museum of London, the Houses of Parliament, the British Museum, the National Gallery and others, and 487 free attractions.
Third place went to Paris, where there are significantly fewer free museums, but they are still there. These are, for example, the Museum of Modern Art of Paris, the House of Victor Hugo, the Museum of History of Paris Carnavalet and others. In total there are 27 such institutions in the French capital, and almost 400 other attractions tourists can visit for free. Including the famous Père Lachaise cemetery.
Omio’s research also notes that while accommodation costs in European capitals are usually high, it is possible to save money by choosing a hotel outside historic centers or by not fixating on certain check-in dates.
GoEuro Travel GmbH, operating under the name Omio, formerly known as GoEuro, is a German online travel comparison and booking website based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 2012 as GoEuro by Naren Schaam.
The Republic of Korea is interested in investing in projects to restore Ukraine’s infrastructure, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Kornienko said.
“We are talking to them about the restoration of infrastructure. They are interested in it … South Korea is a country that can invest a lot in Ukraine and do a lot in terms of our reconstruction,” Kornienko said during a national telethon.
The first deputy speaker of the Ukrainian parliament noted that South Korea is providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, recalling the agreement to provide Ukraine with 20 high-powered generators.
Kornienko also said that members of the Ukrainian parliament’s delegation discussed with their colleagues from the Republic of Korea “how to build a safe world after our victory.”
The first vice-speaker of the Verkhovna Rada expressed the hope that the delegation of the South Korean parliament will come to visit Ukraine.
“We hope that they will respond to our invitation and come to Ukraine with an official visit and see for themselves how it all happens. And then – we already know examples when countries changed their point of view on arms supplies to Ukraine (the Republic of Korea does not supply arms to Ukraine – IFU),” Kornienko noted.
As it was reported, the first vice-speaker of the Verkhovna Rada heads the parliamentary delegation, which is on a visit to South Korea on November 24-26.
In July-September 2022 insurance companies – members of the Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine (MTIBU) settled 51.1% of claims for property damage within 60 days from the date of the accident, up 43.1% compared to Q2 this year (35.7%) .
According to the report on the website of the IASBU, the percentage of claims settled within 90 days in the 3rd quarter of 2022 increased from 46% to 62.2%, up to 120 days increased from 60.2% to 67.4%, for 365 days decreased from 96.3% to 95.9% compared with the 2nd quarter of 2022.
IASBU reports that the greatest number of payments within 60 days performs insurance companies “Universalna” -79,6% (for the 2nd quarter. 61,7%), “Unique” – 77,6% (61.1%), IC “VUSO” -76,2% (57.3%), SG “TAS” -75,5% (62,3%), “ARCS” -75,4% (62,7%), “Knyazha VIG” – 74,3% (62,6%), “ROM Ukraine” -70% (64,1%), “USG” -69% (47,7%), Alfa Insurance -67.6% (56.8%), Arsenal Insurance -66.8%, Providna -66%, Brokbusiness -65.4%, INGO – 63% (45.5%), Oranta -62.1% (38.3%), Express Strakhovanie -60.8%.
The smallest proportion of claims on MTPL within 60 days in January-September 2022 at “Oranta-Sich” -%, “UTSSK” -0,6%, “Omega” -0,9% and “Etalon” -4%.
MLSBU also reported that for the third quarter of 2022 the bureau received 294 complaints against its members, which is 19,1% less than during the quarter before (363).
MTSBU is the only association of insurers, which performs compulsory insurance of civil liability of ground transport owners for damage, caused to third parties.
Apartment buildings with established condominiums, housing and communal associations and private managing companies can get compensations of up to UAH 80 thousand for purchase of alternative energy sources, the head of the Kyiv council commission on housing and communal services and fuel and energy complex Alexander Brodsky said.
Brodsky said that the decision of the Kiev council “On some issues of preparation of the housing fund of Kiev for the passage of the winter period under martial law” came into force.
“This decision is aimed at supporting residential apartment buildings in Kiev, in which created condominiums, HCCs and for private management companies to purchase alternative (independent) energy sources (gasoline and diesel generators, uninterruptible power supplies, inverters, solar panels) to provide in-house systems, such as individual heating units, boiler rooms, duty lighting or recharge gadgets for co-owners,” Brodsky said on his Facebook page.
The deputy noted that a simple mechanism is provided: the house brings a bill of expenditure, an extract from the unified state register and submits an application to the chairman of the RGA.
“During the next two months, the city will reimburse 75% of the cost of such a source, but no more than 80 thousand hryvnia for one house. I hope that all participants will take advantage of this solution for the smooth operation of communications in their homes,” – wrote Brodsky.
Concerning houses that are still managed by former HMOs, in Brodsky’s words “each of the 10 management companies in districts has received 20 million UAH for the heating season, and by this decision we have achieved equality between houses of different management forms”.
