Business news from Ukraine

Educational Ombudsman of Ukraine created website about rights in education

Education Ombudsman Serhiy Gorbachev announced the launch of the reference website “Rights in Education”, where every participant of the educational process, as well as community managers, can find the information and explanations they need.

“If you need to quickly find a legislative or regulatory solution to resolve a particular educational issue, skillfully and legally competently protect your rights, or just want to become more aware of the rights of participants in the educational process and the legal framework of education, then our Wiki reference site ‘Rights in Education’ will help you,” the press service of the educational ombudsman said.

The resource has four sections: for students and parents; for teachers; for educational managers; and for a safe educational environment.

Zaluzhnyi officially appointed as Ambassador to UK

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

“To appoint Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” reads the text of Decree No. 316/2024 of May 9, published on the President’s website.

As reported, on February 8, Zelensky signed decrees dismissing Valeriy Zaluzhny from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and appointing Oleksandr Syrsky to this position.

On March 7, it became known that Zelenskyy had approved Zaluzhnyi’s candidacy for the post of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported. The Foreign Ministry sent the British side a request for an agrimand.

On May 9, Zelensky signed a decree dismissing Zaluzhny from military service.

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Sales of new buses in Ukraine fell again in April

Initial registrations of new buses (including minibuses) in Ukraine in April 2014 decreased by 25.3%, or 21 units, compared to April last year, to 62 units, according to statistics released by Ukravtoprom. According to the association’s website, the demand for new buses decreased by 20.5%, or 16 vehicles, compared to March 2014.

Ukrainian ZAZ buses manufactured by the Zaporizhzhia Automobile Plant of UkrAVTO Corporation became the leaders of the April market, displacing the traditional leader, Ataman buses manufactured by Cherkasy Bus, to the second position. In April, 17 ZAZ buses were registered, compared to two in April 2023 and one in March this year.

Ataman ended April with 15 buses registered, which is 2.5 times less than a year earlier and 6 units less than in March 2014.

Etalon buses took third place in the ranking, with 10 registrations compared to 9 in April last year and 20 in March this year.

Ford also comes next with 10 buses registered, which is twice as many as in April 2023, but almost half as many as in March this year, and Turkish Otocar (5 vehicles versus one in April 2023).

Mercedes-Benz, Citroen, Ruta, Renault, and Zhongtong registered one new bus each.

Thus, in January-April 2024, the first registrations of buses in Ukraine decreased by 27.2% compared to the same period in 2023 – to 367 units.

As reported, according to Ukravtoprom statistics, in April 2023, registrations of new buses in Ukraine more than doubled compared to April 2022, to 83 units, with Ataman, Volkswagen, Citroen, Etalon and Ford forming the top five.

In 2023, the total initial registrations of new buses of all classes in Ukraine amounted to 1701 units, which is 86% more than a year earlier.

“Nova Poshta” increased its consolidated revenue by 53.3%

In 2023, the consolidated net income of Nova Poshta LLC amounted to UAH 43.65 billion, which is 53.3% more than in 2022 (UAH 28.46 billion), according to the company’s consolidated financial statements.

“The group’s revenue from services includes revenues from express delivery of UAH 36.7 billion (84% of the group’s total revenue) and revenues from money transfers of UAH 6.5 billion (15% of its total revenue)…”, the auditor Baker Tilly Ukraine notes in the report.

According to the report, the consolidated net profit of Nova Poshta reached UAH 4.28 billion last year, which is 31.1% better than in 2022.

As previously reported with reference to unconsolidated financial statements, in 2023, Nova Poshta LLC increased its net profit by 85.7% to UAH 3 billion 967.2 million, and its revenue increased by 54% to UAH 36.47 billion.

It is specified that the group’s consolidated gross profit increased by 64.9% last year to UAH 12.15 billion, and operating profit by 46.4% to UAH 7.44 billion.

It is also noted that net cash flow from operating activities in 2023 increased to UAH 8.27 billion from UAH 6.07 billion a year earlier, while negative cash flow from investing activities increased to UAH 4.96 billion from UAH 2.58 billion, and from financing activities – to UAH 1.73 billion from UAH 1.67 billion.

At the end of 2023, the Group’s cash and cash equivalents amounted to UAH 6.5 billion compared to UAH 4.94 billion a year earlier, and net debt amounted to UAH 5.65 billion compared to UAH 4.07 billion.

The consolidated report states that in 2023, Nova Poshta established 18 subsidiaries abroad, 15 of which are wholly owned by the group, bringing the total number of foreign companies to 20 at the end of 2023.

For example, in March, UK Novapay LTD was established with a contribution of UAH 13.7 million at the time of establishment, but during the year, additional contributions to the authorized capital amounted to UAH 26.2 million.

In 2023, investments in Nova Post Estonia OU and Nova Post Latvia SIA, established in the same March, amounted to UAH 12 million and UAH 16.0 million, respectively, while investments in Nova Post FR SAS and Nova Post IT S.R.L., established in July, amounted to UAH 21.5 million and UAH 14.3 million, respectively.

The largest investments among foreign companies last year were made in Nova Post Poland SP. Z O O – UAH 393 million.

It is specified that many foreign companies have so far shown a loss last year, in particular, the net loss of Nova Post Poland amounted to UAH 157 million.

At the same time, in January 2024, NovaPay distributed dividends for 2023 in the amount of UAH 180 million, of which UAH 175.2 million was paid.

In the report, the group reminded that in July 2022, in order to expand and increase the efficiency of its logistics business and infrastructure, it made capital contributions to KMS LLC, Podol Expo LLC and Nova Place LLC in the amount of UAH 509.1 million, UAH 504 million and UAH 90.4 million, respectively, receiving 85%, 99% and 99% of the shares. “KMS owns logistics terminals in Kyiv, Podol Expo – in Chernihiv and Khmelnytsky, and is also building terminals in Kyiv region.

It is noted that in February 2023, Nova Poshta decided to increase its investment in Podol-Expo by an additional capital contribution of UAH 498.6 million, and in October it increased its investment by an additional capital contribution of UAH 582.8 million.

In addition, in June 2022, the Group contributed UAH 868 million and UAH 1,291 million to the capital of Novobox LLC and Dnipro Development Group LLC, respectively, receiving 99% and 95% stakes. “Novobox operates a network of post offices across Ukraine, while DDG is building logistics terminals in Odesa and Dnipro. In 2023, investments in them, according to the report, amounted to UAH 258.6 million and UAH 172.8 million, respectively.

Finally, in March 2024, Nova Poshta acquired 100% of Nova Development LLC, the successor to Best Logistics Group, which was engaged in the construction and leasing of logistics complexes and was part of the Globus full-cycle development holding, and by May made an advance payment of UAH 151.4 million.

According to the group’s report, payments to 22 key management personnel in 2023 amounted to UAH 533.5 million, which is 2.4 times more than in 2022, when there were 21 representatives.

Minister of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine Solsky dismissed

On Thursday, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solsky.

According to MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak (Golos faction) on his Telegram channel, the bill on Solsky’s resignation, registered by a group of deputies of the Batkivshchyna faction led by its leader Yulia Tymoshenko on April 24, was supported by 273 deputies with the required minimum of 226 votes.

According to Zhelezniak, Solsky unexpectedly came to the parliament and made a report on his work as minister before his resignation.

MP Oleksiy Honcharenko (European Solidarity faction) said at the time of Solsky’s speech in the Rada that the Committee on Agrarian Policy did not support his resignation, but suggested that the issue be decided in the hall.

“Corum Druzhkovka Machine-Building Plant” has completed repair of 100 sections of roof supports for mine

“Corum Druzhkovka Machine-Building Plant (Corum DrMZ), a part of Corum Group (DTEK Energy), has completed the repair of 100 sections of mechanized supports for the Geroyev Kosmosa mine. Geroyev Kosmosa mine, the company reported on Facebook.

“The complex includes 160 sections of 1KD90. By agreement, the miners repaired 60 sections on their own, and 100 sections that required more complex repairs were restored by machine builders,” the statement said.

Worn-out metal structures were repaired and the power and control hydraulics of the supports were replaced with new ones.

“The repair of the sections required considerable effort and skill, as it was carried out in relocation conditions and in the partial absence of equipment,” the statement said.

According to the plant, in April it produced 89 units of equipment and 73,641 thousand units of components and spare parts. Among them, 28 freight and two passenger trolleys and 20 TT-900 trolleys were produced. The plant also produced one mine parachute, 25,777 thousand anchors, 778 fire pipes and 44,238 thousand units of other non-core products.

As reported, the plant was relocated from Druzhkivka to Dnipro in spring 2022.

Corum Group is a leading manufacturer of mining equipment in Ukraine and is part of DTEK Energy, the operating company responsible for coal mining and electricity generation within Rinat Akhmetov’s DTEK holding.