President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky calls on businessmen and politicians who left the country to return to Ukraine within the next 24 hours, as this is “an important moment of the country’s unity.”
“I would focus on our management, on our country, on the people who today, some of them, are abroad, members of some parties, I don’t even want to say their names, you all understand what kind of people they are. It seems to me that this is a serious challenge. I think we should give them a signal – a fair one. First of all, from the Verkhovna Rada, from the speaker, from the state, and on my own behalf I would like to ask them to bring some of their relatives within 24 hours, to return to the country after all,” Zelensky said at a joint briefing with the German chancellor in Kyiv on Monday.
He stressed that this is an important moment, “the moment of the country’s unity.”
The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine continues to operate in Kyiv, member companies of the business association also continue to do business and have business continuity plans in place already for several years, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine Andy Hunder has said.
“The American Chamber of Commerce team continues to operate in Kyiv. We are constantly in touch with our members, Ukraine’s government, and the US Embassy. This continuous dialogue and communication have been a strategic pillar of the American Chamber of Commerce for the past 30 years in Ukraine,” Hunder said in a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine.
He said that American Chamber of Commerce member companies have had business continuity plans in place already for several years, which are being regularly reviewed and updated.
“American Chamber of Commerce member companies continue to operate in Ukraine, contributing to the country’s economy, having already invested over $50 billion in the country, employing people, and contributing to the state budget,” the president of the business association said.
The main staff of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has moved to Lviv, a U.S. State Department official said.
“The main staff of the embassy has moved to Lviv to continue our important work in supporting Ukraine and finding a diplomatic solution to this crisis, which, of course, Russia has created,” the official told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.
A free trade agreement with Turkey may make some types of Ukrainian agricultural products uncompetitive in Ukraine and in foreign markets, since Turkish food products have already taken a strong position around the world, and similar Ukrainian products may not find markets there.
Head of the Ukrainian Agricultural Export Association (UAEA) Dmytro Kroshka told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday about the impact of the FTA agreement with Turkey signed on February 3 on the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
“Competition between Ukraine and Turkey is most visible on the markets of third countries. We have already determined that Turkish tomato on the Ukrainian market will be cheaper than domestic. Our producer understands that if he cannot make money on the Ukrainian market, he will seek sales in Europe or somewhere else, where it turns out that Turkey is exactly the same in those markets. And sooner or later, a manufacturer that cannot reorient itself will have to reduce production or abandon it, this is very likely,” the head of the association said.
He said that the key risk for the Ukrainian agribusiness from the zeroing of customs duties is the export orientation of Turkish producers, supported and controlled by the state.
“In Turkey, there is a huge infrastructural and financial support for exporters. The state establishes KPI there, and a manufacturer is supported, whose products are not just produced, but exported. And for a manufacturer to export, its products must meet the quality requirements that the market requires, and not only increase the volume. The effect of Turkish policy has become actively noticeable to us in recent years, when the active expansion of Ukrainian products to world markets began,” Kroshka said.
The head of the UAAE said that Ukrainian producers of apples, nuts and other products of the fruit and nut group will definitely benefit from the actions of the FTA, which Turkey will be able to re-export to the countries of the Middle East and Africa, taking advantage of its favorable geographical location. However, this is guaranteed to have a negative impact on vegetable and egg producers.
“We just need to look at the news about the FTA between Ukraine and Turkey as news that we will sell more there and the trade turnover will certainly increase. But at the same time, I believe that this agreement will reveal a wave of internal Ukrainian economic problems in agriculture, which are linked to the production of agricultural goods common with key Turkish products,” the expert said.
He also said that in 2022, Ukrainian agricultural producers were faced with an increase in energy costs, a review of existing taxes and the introduction of new ones, fiscalization of business, which, along with an increase in Turkish food imports, will lead to a wave of bankruptcies of small agricultural enterprises if the latter do not receive proper support from the state.
He said that the agreement on the main terms of trade in food products between Ukraine and Turkey took place simultaneously with the approval of the Export Strategy of Ukraine and the sectoral export strategy for food products, the implementation plans of which were provided, including reducing the tax burden on producers. However, this decision was never implemented, which will affect the state of the market in the near future.
“It seems to me that many manufacturers simply will not survive this stage of development of Ukraine. 2022, taking into account these factors, will be the beginning of a wave of bankruptcies, especially for small enterprises,” the head of the UAEA said.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, FOREIGN MARKETS, FTA, TURKEY, UNCOMPETITIVE
Ukrainian banks’ cash exchange rates on 14/02/22
Source: Interfax-Ukraine
Presentation of the private aviation club, Ukrainian Aviation Club (UAC), took place on February 8 in Kyiv, Premier Palace Hotel. This is a professional community that includes international and Ukrainian airline companies, airports and other representatives of aviation and touristic business.
A new edition of the main aviation magazine of Ukraine – Boryspil Magazine, dedicated to the Arabian Gulf countries – was presented at the event. Oleksii Didigurov, the Founder of the Ukrainian Aviation Club, told about the development plan for 2022 and shared his ideas about new projects. Veronika Bulavytska, a Country Manager of Air Astana Airlines, informed about renewal and flight safety from Kyiv to Kazachstan. During the event, UAH 7,000 was collected from the sales of books by the UAC founder, Oleksii Didigurov, which were transferred to Sky People fund.
The representatives of the following companies visited the event:
the main Ukrainian airport – Boryspil, the Head of UkSATSE;
Wizz Air, ElAl, Air Astana, Air Arabia, Windrose Airlines Ukraine;
Ras Al Khaimah tourism office; the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, Touristic Department of the American Chamber of Commerce; Raisky and Insignia concierge services, aircraft maintenance companies and business aviation,
as well as companies related to flights and mass media.
The partners of the event were: Premier Palace, Qatari Embassy in Ukraine, Krayna. Dyka Voda Zakarpattia (Krayna. Wild Water of Transcarpathia).
Gifts of the following brands were awarded: Ras Al Khaima Tourism, Royal Thai Spa, EKIP-SPORT, Koshkin Dom, Avialiga.
All guests received 50% discount for a stay in Mola Mola Apart Hotel in Lviv.
Qatari Embassy in Ukraine treated the guests.
The next UAC meeting is to take place in March, in a private format, and will be devoted to marketing and PR experts in aviation and tourism.
AVIATION, BORYSPIL, PREMIER PALACE HOTEL, UKRAINIAN AVIATION CLUB
