JSC Ukreximbank did not find any facts of terrorist financing when issuing a loan of $60 million to companies whose beneficiary is a citizen of Ukraine with the status of an internally displaced person, Serhiy Briukhovetsky, acting chairman of the bank’s board Serhiy Yermakov said. “At the time the loan was issued, the borrower, Mr. Briukhovetsky, went through the proper KYC verification procedure, within which the bank did not reveal information that would indicate the existence of criminal cases and proceedings in connection with the fact of holding shares in the company, including registered in uncontrolled territories,” he said at a press briefing at the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
For clarification, the bank received the client’s consent to disclose information that may constitute banking secrecy, Yermakov added.
According to the bank, as part of the check of the borrower, it was revealed that Briukhovetsky owns the corporate rights of three companies registered in the territory not controlled by Ukraine: Gorspetslift (50%, Horlivka), Dikon LLC (24%, Bakhmut), Spetsremmash LLC (16.6%, Horlivka). He also owned 45% of Eastern Donbas LLC (Horlivka), which ceased operations in 2011.
According to Yermakov, in April 2021 Ukeximbank provided a loan of $60 million to the companies Wholesale Network 2011 LLC and Slavian LLC, the beneficiary of which is Briukhovetsky. The loan was issued for the acquisition of corporate rights and the completion of the transaction for the purchase of the Sky Mall trade center in Kyiv. The total sum of the purchase is $80 million.
Thus, $39 million of the loan was used to refinance the Wholesale Network 2011 loan obligations in two Ukrainian and one European banks. Another $21 million was used to complete the acquisition of Sky Mall. In addition, Briukhovetsky contributed $20 million at the expense of his own funds and the funds of a related company – Sky Finance LLC.
“At the request of the bank, the borrower provided the conclusions of professional lawyers, including the British, registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority, on the settlement of corporate conflicts and lawsuits … The availability of an arbitration award in the case of Estonian businessman Teder Hillar did not jeopardize the borrowers’ ownership of Sky Mall,” Yermakov said.
According to him, the entire complex of structures and the parking space of the Sky Mall shopping center are pledged on the loan. In addition, the bank received a guarantee from Briukhovetsky.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky calls on the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy to intensify an information campaign on the importance of vaccinating citizens against coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.
According to the presidential press service, Zelensky made a statement during a conference call on countering the pandemic on Monday.
“All resources, available methods and sources must convey to various segments of the population about importance of protection against COVID-19. People who are vaccinated not only protect themselves from a severe course in case of illness, but they protect the environment, in particular their family members,” Zelensky said.
It is noted that during the meeting, the Health Ministry along with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy was separately instructed to launch a campaign to vaccinate pensioners and also strengthen the information direction.
“Now in Ukraine, out of 11 million pensioners, about 25% are vaccinated. Volodymyr Zelensky suggested considering the possibility of involving business representatives to the aforementioned information campaign of Ukrposhta,” the press service said.
The special attention during the meeting was paid to the issue of combating the counterfeiting of certificates of negative PCR tests and certificates of vaccination. According to Chief of the National Police Ihor Klymenko, some 13 searches were carried out over the past week, some 12 criminal proceedings were initiated.
There is already the first court decision on the recovery of a fine in the amount of UAH 34,000 from a doctor from Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region and deprivation of the right to work in the specialty for one year.
In addition, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the number of Ukrainians with COVID-19 continues to grow, in particular, some 64,606 COVID-19 cases were registered in the previous week, which is almost 20,000 more than a week earlier.
“To date, the dynamics of the development of the disease completely coincides with the previous peak of morbidity. Despite the fact that the growth of sick and hospitalized patients has slowed down somewhat, as of now, 22,500 beds are already occupied by people with confirmed COVID-19 and with suspicion,” the head of the government said.
He said that slightly less than 50% of the available places for COVID-19 patients are already occupied in Ukraine, but there are areas where the situation is of concern. According to the analysis of the Health Ministry, there are more infected in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv and Odesa regions. In total, there are 138,500 active patients in Ukraine today.
“The head of state has set the government the task of ensuring in the near future an increase in the number of beds in regions where there is a rapid increase in the incidence of coronavirus,” the office said.
COVID-19, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, PRESIDENT ZELENSKY, VACCINATION
The mobile network operator Kyivstar in September activated 4G technology at 75 base stations, as a result, 83,000 more Ukrainian residents in 132 settlements are able to access the company’s high-speed mobile Internet.
The press service of the operator reported on Monday that in particular, the technology was activated in the following settlements: Verkhniy Luzhok, Yasenytsia-Zamkova, Khatky (Lviv region), Tochylove, Novoheorgiyivka, Topaly (Odesa region), Shevchenkove, Kiyliv, Somkova Dolyna (Kyiv region), Liubar, Stryzhivka, Ivankivtsi (Zhytomyr region).
The company said that in the second quarter of 2021, Kyivstar invested about UAH 1.5 billion in the development of new communication technologies, which made it possible to significantly expand the territory of the 4G network. Due to this, the number of subscribers who used high-speed mobile Internet increased during this period by 32.3%, and the consumption of megabytes per subscriber increased by 23.6%.
To date, 10.3 million people use 4G communication in the Kyivstar network.
LTE technology in the Kyivstar network has been activated at almost 18,000 base stations.
By 2022, the operator plans to cover 90% of the country’s population with 4G.
JSC Ukrzaliznytsia in 2022 does not plan to raise prices in passenger traffic.
“So far, there are no such decisions. We have indexed very smoothly this year. Not all at once, but in relation to the consumer price index and stretching for the whole year. On the contrary, we plan to stimulate individual services with promotional rates. For example, with tour operators, we are talking about how to support the transportation of large groups by rail by setting discounts on bulk reservations depending on the size of the group,” Oleksandr Pertsovsky, the director of the Passenger Company branch, said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
He also noted that in the medium term, Ukrzaliznytsia plans to initiate a revision of tariff regulation in order to enter a more flexible pricing policy in the passenger segment.
“What I mean: a common practice among transport operators is that the earlier you buy tickets, the cheaper they are, and if at the last minute – the more expensive. to the price. This will allow us to increase the average profitability while still giving the best price to the individual passengers who are most price sensitive. As an option, make a greater distinction between classes. We are also working on the possibility of changing pricing in relation to distances,” he explained.
According to him, all this requires both certain regulatory changes and programmatic changes in terms of restructuring the current IT system of Ukrzaliznytsia.
The director of the Passenger Company branch also noted that in comparison with 2020, in 2021 Ukrzaliznytsia showed good dynamics in terms of covering expenses with income in the segment of passenger transportation.
To further improve the situation, the company is working on the introduction of contracts for socially significant transportation, since for many years the company had “a huge percentage of underfunding” from the local authorities.
“Plus, we are actively working on the issue of control over fares. In the suburbs, for example, we are piloting an IT system that allows you to sell tickets online or through kiosks, both single and subscriber for passengers. We are also reviewing the configuration of the turnstile system to reduce the percentage of free riders,” Pertsovsky said.
He also stressed that the idea of bringing passenger traffic to the level of prime cost is impossible within the framework of the current market model and does not make sense.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has announced the success of infrastructure development in Ukraine, as well as digitalization, the press service of the president of Ukraine has reported.
“In these two and a half years, we have started the digitization of the state. We are number one in Europe today. And the Servant of the People party was involved in that as well,” the presidential press service quoted Zelensky as saying when speaking in Truskavets on Saturday, where a visiting session of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction was taking place.
Zelensky added that Ukraine is also the first in Europe in terms of road construction now. “Statistically, we build the most per month. Number one in Europe!” the President noted.
The Head of State also noted the liquidation of the State Architectural and Construction Inspectorate.
“So be a little proud of yourself and the difficult path. When we talk about land reform, there are many questions about how slow it is. But I believe that this is a challenge and a victory, on which I want to congratulate you,” the President said.
He noted that there are many challenges in the field of medicine in the country, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “But today I see a medical team. We have elected a minister, a committee is working, and we are ready for challenges,” Zelensky stressed.
The President also stressed that the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have done a lot for Ukraine’s international agency, and this is the most important victory this year.
“A lot yet not enough. Why not enough? I will explain. We do not have time to expect that we will be taken to the European Union: ‘let’s wait another five years.’ You know we have a war. I do not want to complain. I think we are powerful. And today our policy is ‘brazen’. And I am convinced that without a strong international policy, without such ‘boldness’ no one will see Ukraine’s steps forward,” he said.
In addition, the presidential press service noted that working groups with the participation of deputies and ministers (eight clusters) on the details of the Plan of Transformation of the country initiated by him in the following areas: military security and international relations; energy independence and “green” transformation, human capital, technological development and market transformations, infrastructure and local development, food hub, digital hub and rule of law.
“These clusters contain goals and KPIs for relevant areas until 2023, projects and reforms to be implemented, and laws to be enacted,” the message reads.
DIGITALIZATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, POLITICS, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, PRESIDENT ZELENSKY
Ukrainian enterprises in January-September this year increased exports of ferrous metal scrap by 27 times in monetary terms compared to the same period last year, to $175.59 million from $6.46 million.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service, in September alone, exports of scrap metal totaled $18.44 million, while in September 2020 it was $1.13 million.
At the same time, in January-August of this year, the country increased imports of scrap metal in monetary terms by 2.05 times, to $31.81 million. In September, imports of scrap was worth $2.87 million.
