Metinvest B.V. (the Netherlands), the parent company of the international vertically integrated mining and metallurgical group Metinvest, in 2021 increased payment of taxes by 2.4 times compared to the previous year, to UAH 52.7 billion.
According to preliminary data for 2021 released by the company, Metinvest Group, taking into account associated companies and joint ventures, transferred UAH 52.7 billion in taxes and fees to the budgets of all levels in Ukraine in 2021, which is 2.4 times more than in 2020.
At the same time, it is clarified that traditionally the largest payment is income tax. Last year, the Ukrainian enterprises of Metinvest, together with associates and joint ventures, replenished the state and local budgets by almost UAH 33 billion, which is more than six times higher than the year before last.
The second largest amount of payments is the social security tax, the payments of which in 2021 increased by 10% compared to 2020, to UAH 5.7 billion.
The third largest payment is personal income tax. Last year, Metinvest Group, together with associated and joint ventures, paid UAH 5.2 billion to the treasury of Ukraine, which is 11% more than similar payments in 2020.
At the same time, payment for the use of subsoil increased by a third compared to the year before last, to UAH 2.9 billion.
Significant sources of filling the state and local budgets in Ukraine in 2021 were also the environmental tax – UAH 894 million and land fees – UAH 857 million.
“The amount of taxes paid by Metinvest hit a record high last year. This was facilitated by a favorable market situation and improvement in the company’s operating efficiency. As one of the country’s largest taxpayers, we are pleased to do our part to support the country’s economy and the health and well-being of Ukrainians during the coronavirus pandemic,” Yuriy Ryzhenkov, Chief Executive Officer of Metinvest Group, said.
The volume of investments in real estate in Kyiv amounted to the equivalent of $33 million in January 2022, which is 35% less than in December 2021, but 25% higher than in January 2021, First Realty Group told Interfax-Ukraine.
“The level of capitalization was affected by the long New Year holidays. At the same time, we are seeing a trend of changing the portrait of the buyer – today the greatest demand is for objects in the medium and high price segments,” Olena Biberova, the CEO of Blagovist, said.
According to Blagovist, in January 2022, the segment up to $50,000 took a share of 9% of the total number of transactions. In this category, mainly one- and two-room apartments were purchased, most of all in Dniprovsky and Desniansky districts of the capital. Transactions with apartments accounted for the bulk of the share.
In the segment from $50,000 to $100,000, some 37% of operations in January were completed, mostly apartments in residential areas of Kyiv.
The price category from $100,000 to $250,000d became the most massive in January, it gave 41% of transactions. Here two- and three-room apartments in Solomiansky, Darnytsky, Pechersky districts of Kyiv prevail.
The price category from $250,000 in January was represented by 13% of the total volume of transactions.
Blagovist real estate agency, founded in 1993, is part of First Realty Group corporation. Currently, there are eight offices of the agency in Kyiv, with which about 500 professional real estate consultants cooperate.
Since Sunday, January 30, Ukraine has been included in the list of high-risk countries for Germany, the Ukrainian Embassy in Germany said. “This means that Ukrainian citizens are required to comply with the requirements for electronic registration and quarantine. For example, travelers from Ukraine must register at www.einreiseanmeldung.de and have a confirmation of registration before arriving in Germany,” the Ukrainian embassy said in a Facebook statement on Sunday.
If you enter Germany with a previous stay in a high-risk area or in an area with different strains of coronavirus during the last ten days, you must go directly to the destination immediately after entering Germany, to carry out home isolation (quarantine).
The embassy explained that after staying in the high-risk zone, visitors must carry out home isolation for ten days, after staying in the zone with different strains of coronavirus – 14 days. During the quarantine it is not allowed to leave the house or apartment and receive guests.
“Fully vaccinated citizens of Ukraine can enter Germany without urgent need. The above general rules of entry apply to this category of persons. Vaccination must be performed with one of the vaccines listed on the website of the Paul Ehrlich Institute. Vaccination with the last required dose must be at least 14 days before entry,” the embassy said.
More information can be found on the website of the Federal Interior Ministry.
Unvaccinated citizens of Ukraine can enter Germany, if necessary, by providing either a negative test result or a certificate of recovery. The list of relevant conditions is posted on the website of the Federal Minister of the Interior.
This requirement applies to persons over six years of age.
“The COVID-19 test (antigen test or PCR test) must be completed a maximum of 48 hours before the (scheduled) time of entry. In case of arrival by transport of the carrier company (for example, airline), the PCR test is allowed to pass at least 48 hours before (planned) moment of the beginning of transportation (for example, time of departure); the antigen test is also allowed to take place a maximum of 48 hours before the (scheduled) start of transportation, if it is carried out by the carrier,” the statement said.
However, if the trip is planned by plane, it is recommended to follow the requirements of individual airlines.
Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis says the decision to provide Ukraine with another financial assistance in the amount of EUR 1.2 billion will be signed on February 1. “We are stepping up our support for Ukraine both in the immediate and medium term. The European Commission is going to adopt a new emergency macro-financial assistance package of EUR 1.2 billion tomorrow,” he said at a joint briefing with Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal in Kyiv on Monday.
He said that in order for the European Commission to provide the first tranche of EUR 600 million in the near future, this decision must be passed through the European Parliament, after which a memorandum of understanding must be signed on the directions of financing these funds.
Dombrovskis said this support is related to the programs that Ukraine has with the IMF.
In 2021 MEGABANK increased its credit portfolio by UAH 881 mln.
As of January 1, 2022, the total credit portfolio of the bank is UAH 8,132 bn.
Within a year it increased by 881 million hryvnias, which is 509% more compared to 2020.
In particular, 961 million hryvnias were disbursed as loans to small and medium-sized businesses in 2021. The credit portfolio also increased in the microbusiness segment. Compared to 2020, the increase amounted to UAH 97 million (214%).
– According to the Strategy for 2021-2025, the bank financed primarily micro-businesses and SMEs. Among them are enterprises of the agricultural sector, trade and industry. And microbusiness financing is one of the priorities of our bank, which is successfully implemented, – said Olena Ponomarenko, Acting Chairman of the Management Board of MEGABANK JSC.
In addition to classical credit products, small and medium-sized businesses can get affordable short-term unsecured loans from MEGABANK in the form of a credit limit on a current account, loans for investment purposes, loans under government support programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also representatives of SMEs have access to the entire range of documentary operations, letters of credit, bills avalization, servicing of foreign economic contracts, and others.
Based on the results of 2021, the retail credit portfolio also showed an increase, which is 160% more than in 2020.
U.S. President Joe Biden intends to appoint Bridget Brink, who currently represents Washington in Slovakia, as the country’s ambassador to Ukraine, CNN said on Monday.
The appointment will take place when the Ukrainian side gives formal confirmation, the television channel said.
The United States has not had a permanent ambassador to Ukraine since 2019. At the moment, Kristina Kvien serves as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.
Brink has been representing the United States in Slovakia since August 2019. She served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2015 to 2018. She also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Uzbekistan (2014-2015) and Georgia (2011-2014).
