The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has published recommendations for citizens of Ukraine in connection with the aggravation of the security situation in Sri Lanka.
“In connection with the aggravation of the situation in Sri Lanka, we recommend that Ukrainians refrain from staying in crowded places and protests, as well as comply with the instructions of local law enforcement agencies,” the ministry said in a statement.
In the event of an emergency in Sri Lanka, citizens of Ukraine can contact the hotline of the Ukrainian Embassy in India: +91 92055 07157.
Protests in Sri Lanka have been going on for months. In recent days, they were accompanied by riots and arson.
On Saturday, protesters in Sri Lanka broke into the residence of President Gotabai Rajapaksa during the largest anti-government march. As reported by the Associated Press, citing local TV, thousands of protesters broke through the police barricades, they managed to enter the residence. According to Indian media, the president had to urgently leave the residence.
The protesters demand the president’s resignation.
Sri Lanka is experiencing its most serious crisis since 1948, when the country gained independence from Britain.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, following the dismissal of Andriy Melnyk from the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, also dismissed 4 more ambassadors by decrees of July 9. In particular, Ludmila Nepop was fired from the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary, Vyacheslav Yatsyuk from the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to Norway, Yevhen Perebiinos from the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the Czech Republic.
Igor Polikha was also fired from the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to India, as well as from the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to the Maldives, Nepal, Shri Lanka, Bangladesh concurrently.
Nepop has been Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary since 2016. Yatsyuk was appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to Norway in 2016. Perebiynis has been Ukraine’s ambassador to Norway since 2017. Poliha has served as the Ambassador of Ukraine to India since 2015.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Andriy Melnyk from the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany.
The corresponding decree was signed on July 9 and posted on the website of the head of state.
Melnyk has served as Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany since 2014.
The growth of consumer prices in Ukraine in June 2022 accelerated to 3.1% from 2.7% in May, returning to the level of April, the State Statistics Service (Gosstat) reported on Friday.
In June last year, inflation was 0.2%, so in annual terms, in June this year, it rose to 21.5% from 18% in May, 16.4% in April, 13.7% in March, 10.7% – in February and 10% – in January, the agency said.
Core inflation over the past month also increased to 1.6% from 1.4% in May, which, however, is less than 3% in April and 3.8% in March. However, taking into account 0.4% in May 2021 in annual terms, it increased to 14.9% from 13.7% in May, 13% in April, 10.5% in March, 8.2% – at the end of February and 7.6% – at the end of January.
Since the beginning of this year, for its first half of the year, inflation in Ukraine amounted to 17.4%, and the base – 11.4%, said the State Statistics Service.
In the consumer market in June, prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 3.2%. Eggs increased the most (by 17.2%). Prices for sugar, rice, cereal products, pork, vegetables, poultry meat increased by 10.9-4.2%. At the same time, prices for beef and fruits fell by 1.1%.
Prices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco products increased by 2.4%, including for alcoholic beverages – by 3.4%, tobacco products – by 1.4%.
Clothes and footwear fell in price by 1.4%, in particular, clothes – by 1.8%, shoes – by 0.9%.
Transportation prices rose by 11.2%, mainly due to a rise in the price of fuel and lubricating oils by 21.3%, as well as road and rail passenger transport by 7.4% and 4.5%, respectively.
In the field of communications, prices increased by 0.9%, which is associated with a rise in the cost of postal services and telephone equipment by 3.0%.
As reported, in 2021 inflation in Ukraine rose to 10% from 5% in 2020 and 4.1% in 2019, while core inflation rose to 7.9% against 4.5% a year earlier.
The Expert Rating rating agency has suspended the financial stability rating of the insurance company Krayina (Kyiv) at the company’s request, the RA website reports. As reported, Expert Rating updated the company’s rating at the level of “uaAA +” on the national scale in the first quarter of 2022.
During this period, the gross insurance premiums of IC “Kraina” in January-March 2022 amounted to UAH 125.2 million, which is 17.7% less compared to the same period in 2021.
In the first quarter of 2022, IC “Kraina” made UAH 60.28 million of insurance payments and indemnities, which is 31.32% less than in the same period of 2021. At the same time, the level of payments in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2021 decreased by 9.55 p.p. up to 48.16%.
The equity capital of the company as of March 31, 2022 increased by 3.65% to UAH 155.57 million, while its gross liabilities increased by 5.63% to UAH 181.45 million. As a result, the level of coverage of the insurer’s liabilities by equity capital decreased by 1.64 percentage points. – up to 85.74%.
In the period under review, the volume of cash and cash equivalents of the company decreased by 38.61% and amounted to UAH 62.12 million, while the indicator of coverage of the insurer’s obligations with cash decreased by 22.99 percentage points. and amounted to 34.24%.
IC “Kraina” has been operating in the insurance market of Ukraine since 1994. It has licenses for 23 types of insurance.
Associations of Ukrainian manufacturers call on the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine to impose a moratorium on raising tariffs for rail freight traffic for the period of martial law and six months after its termination.
“There was no real discussion between shippers and the carrier about a compromise solution to increase tariffs – we were simply presented with a fact. When Ukrzaliznytsia announced the discussion of raising tariffs by 70%, the order to increase tariffs had already been signed. We had specific proposals: to introduce a moratorium for the period of martial law and six months after it on the increase in tariffs within the borders of Ukraine, and all related services,” Liudmyla Kripka, the Executive Director of the Ukrcement Association, said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.
According to her, Ukrzaliznytsia did not take into account the transportation of raw materials, coal, fillers in the infrastructure component of transportation, and did not include the tariff distance, which is why the cost of the final product will increase more significantly than in the carrier’s forecast.
“The impact on the cost of the final product will be much higher than presented by Ukrzaliznytsia. On the example of cement: for us, the main raw material is limestone, and there the highest figure is 55%. Other industries fell into the values of 0-13%,” she said.
In addition, from August 1, the calculation for the use of wagons will be changed to the actual one instead of the planned one, which will also increase the costs of shippers due to delays in border crossings, the expert noted.
Oleh Misiuk, a representative of the Ukrainian Lime Industry Association, pointed out that the decision to raise tariffs would have a significant impact on the lime market, which is already undergoing a significant decline in production volumes.
“Before the war, the cost of delivery from the west of Ukraine to Dnipro was UAH 400 per tonne, now it is UAH 650. With a producer price of up to UAH 300/tonne, the consumer overpays another UAH 200-250 from July 1. In general, lime production has fallen from the pre-war 1.2 million tonnes per month to 350,000 tonnes in May-June. The decision of Ukrzaliznytsia to increase tariffs will hit the market even harder, we expect a fall by another 30-40%,” he said.
MISIUK, MORATORIUM, RAIL FREIGHT, TARIFF, UKRAINIAN PRODUCERS ASSOCIATIONS, UKRCEMENT, UKRZALIZNYTSIA, КРИПКА
