Ukraine needs to import approximately 3.5 million tonnes of thermal coal during the coming heating season, Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko has said.
“Additionally, it is needed to import about 3.5 million tonnes during the heating season in accordance with the coal accumulation schedule,” the minister said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
At the same time, he noted that generating companies – both DTEK and Centrenergo – have begun to conclude contracts for coal imports.
According him, the price of electricity in the market already makes it possible “to calmly buy coal, produce [electricity], sell and earn money.”
“We expect that we will stabilize the situation with coal and will calmly pass the autumn-winter period,” the minister said.
At the same time, he noted that in the heating season of this year, the Ministry of Energy also expects “certain achievements” – the NPP operation with at least 14 units out of 15 operating, as well as, if necessary, especially in December-January, connection of the 15th atomic block to the system. According to his forecasts, gas reserves in underground storage facilities will reach 19.5 billion cubic meters at the beginning of the autumn-winter period.
According to presidential decree 452/2021, promulgated on Monday, which approved the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) dated July 30, 2021 on measures to neutralize threats in the energy sector, the Cabinet of Ministers must ensure the accumulation of natural gas, reserve fuels and coal by October 31 of this year for the smooth operation of the fuel and energy complex during the heating period 2021/2022, as well as the priority of providing open wagons for shipment of coal products by rail in accordance with the requests of coal enterprises – mines and processing plants. Also, the government needs to ensure the completion of the implementation of measures regarding the readiness of the fuel and energy complex to work in a special period and make appropriate decisions.
Farmak pharmaceutical company (Kyiv) was the first among Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies to implement the SAP SuccessFactors system to automate the most important and time-consuming processes in the field of personnel management, and is introducing a new module – SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting.
According to a press release from the company, the SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting module will cover and automate the entire recruiting process – from sending applications to find a person to starting a job.
In addition, the module makes it possible to analyze the work of recruiters using HR performance metrics.
“HR specialists will be able to work more efficiently with resume databases, keep records of internal and external candidates, form groups of the most relevant applicants according to the application for recruiting and save the results of interviews,” the company says.
According to Viktoria Kondrashikhina, the HR director of Farmak, this approach will significantly reduce labor costs for finding specialists and accelerate the filling of vacancies.
“Actively digitalizing its business, Farmak pays great attention to the automation of HR processes. For three years now, we have been using the SAP SuccessFactors module, which has transferred to online the setting, cascading and coordination of goals, annual assessment of corporate and managerial competencies, the formation of individual development plans, and personnel reserve. Last year, we began to introduce a module that automates staff training. This will simplify and accelerate the process of acquiring new knowledge and move from paper to digital data management. And also to develop e-learning with elements of gamification, making learning more flexible and effective. Now we are introducing recruiting automation for even greater efficiency and freeing up the time of HR specialists for other strategic tasks,” she said.
Farmak is the leader of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market. The company’s product portfolio includes more than 220 complex-component modern medicines. Among the main directions are endocrinological, gastroenterological, cardiological, neurological, anti-cold and other drugs.
Ukraine has entered the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL), the Ministry of Economy said.
“On August 28, 2021, the protocol on Ukraine’s accession to the agreement on the establishment of the ACWL entered into force, our country has officially become a member of this international organization and can use its services,” the ministry said on the website on Monday.
The Ministry of Economy noted that membership in the center provides an opportunity to receive free legal advice on WTO law and free training services, as well as legal assistance during the resolution of disputes within the WTO for a lower fee than a fee to law firms on a commercial basis (with a 40% discount to the established hourly base rate).
The Advisory Centre on WTO Law is an international organization founded in 2001 to provide legal assistance to developing countries. The Consulting Center includes 12 developed countries and 39 WTO members that are developing. The Verkhovna Rada ratified the corresponding protocol on June 15, 2021.
VOLUMES OF CARGO TRANSPORTATION IN JAN- JUNE 2021, MLN TONS
According to the results of April-June 2021, the Vodafone Ukraine mobile network operator reached a revenue figure of UAH 4.912 billion, which is 19% more than in the same period of 2020.
According to the operator’s financial report, its net profit for the specified period grew by 20% compared to the same period last year, to UAH 1.211 billion.
OIBDA increased by 31% and reached UAH 2.844 billion, OIBDA margin amounted to 57.9% (in the second quarter of 2020 it was 52.6%).
Vodafone Ukraine said that the main factor of growth was the increase in the consumption of communication services in voice & data tariffs. The gradual recovery in roaming revenues also contributed to the growth in revenues.
The emphasis on the development of 4G networks and the growth in the number of data users was reflected in the increase in consumption of data services and, accordingly, ARPU grew by 21%, to UAH 83.10.
The customer base of Vodafone Ukraine in the second quarter of 2021 slightly decreased – by 0.3%, to 18.9 million users.
At the same time, there was an increase in the segment of contract and corporate connections (from 2.1 million customers in the second quarter of 2020 to 2.4 million in April-June 2021), especially due to an increase in the number of new connections in the IoT segment.
In the second quarter of 2021, roaming revenues from own subscribers increased by 22%, and consumption growth was 57% compared to the third quarter of last year, traditionally the busiest period. “Data consumption in roaming in April-June 2021 exceeded the volume of the same period in 2019. The emerging trend allows us to hope that revenues from roaming will also return to the previous, precocious level next year,” the press service of the operator said.
Vodafone Ukraine also noted an increase in demand for services based on the Internet of Things (IoT) – the number of IoT users increased by 30% over the year, to 1 million.
According to the operator, the most popular IoT applications currently are: security, finance and retail, utilities, transport and logistics.
Vodafone Ukraine noted a certain revival in the mobile retail segment: according to the results of the second quarter, the company increased its profitability and revenue from the sale of equipment in its own retail network.
Capital investments of Vodafone Ukraine in the reporting period amounted to UAH 584 billion (a decrease of 18% compared to April-June 2020) and they are mainly aimed at developing high-speed Internet infrastructure. The company’s total investments in the construction of high-speed mobile Internet networks amounted to UAH 30.3 billion.
Vodafone Ukraine is the second largest mobile operator in Ukraine.
The Health Ministry of Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the leading U.S. company Medtronic during the working visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to the United States, according to the agency’s website.
“The signing of the memorandum will allow us, together with Medtronic, to work in the field of innovative biomedical technologies, to receive significant support to improve the qualifications of our doctors, to introduce effective screening solutions for the implementation of the Healthy Ukraine presidential program,” Health Minister Viktor Liashko said.
According to the statement, it is planned to expand cooperation in the field of comprehensive counteraction to cardiovascular diseases and the introduction of innovative technologies to prevent complications in patients with diabetes mellitus.
“Within the cooperation, we agreed to consider the possibility of localizing the production of certain medical devices of the company in Ukraine within the government support for projects with significant investments, the so-called investment nannies, as well as expanding Medtronic’s cooperation with Ukrainian companies specializing in IT solutions,” the Health Ministry said.
In addition, cooperation in the scientific field is planned.
Medtronic is a global leader in health technology and related services. It has a strong presence in Eastern Europe, trains doctors in all possible areas of medical care for the treatment of more than 70 different chronic and non-communicable diseases.
