Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of July 30
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in the updated Inflation Report published on the website again worsened the estimate of the growth of Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2021 (hereinafter compared to the same period in 2020), to 7.5% from 8.7% in April and from 11.3% in the January report.
The negative impact of last year’s low harvest on exports, the food industry and agriculture (in particular, livestock farming due to a decrease in profitability as a result of higher prices for feed) remained. The negative conditions influenced agriculture and a later start of the harvesting (one week later), the National Bank said, explaining the deterioration of the assessment.
The NBU also revised its forecast for GDP dynamics in the second half of this year. If in April he expected economic growth in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, by 4.2% and 3.6%, now – by 3.6% and 5.8%.
“The key risks to the macroeconomic forecast are the imposition of stricter quarantine measures in Ukraine and globally, and a longer and more pronounced than expected surge in global inflation,” the National Bank said.
As reported, in general, the NBU confirmed the forecast for GDP growth for 2021 at 3.8% and for 2022-2023 at 4%.
According to the report, the central bank expects the economy to expand by 6.7% in the first and second quarters of next year, slowing to 2.8% in the third and to 1% in the fourth quarters.
The volume of construction work performed in Ukraine in January-June 2021 increased by 0.2% compared to the same period in 2020.
According to the State Statistics Service, in January-June, the volume of construction work completed amounted to UAH 76.8 billion.
According to the statistics department, in June 2021 the seasonally adjusted index of construction products amounted to 116.4% compared to the previous month, the one adjusted for the effect of calendar days compared to June 2020 – 121%.
The service reported that in June 2021 from June a year earlier, an increase in the volume of construction work was observed in all segments of construction: in residential – by 24.1%, non-residential – by 1.2%, engineering – by 29.3%.
The share of new construction in the total volume of completed construction work was 36.8%, repairs – 35.7%, reconstruction and technical re-equipment – 27.5%.
An increase in the volume of construction work in January-June 2021 compared to January-June 2020 was recorded in Ternopil (by 52%, to UAH 1.4 billion), Rivne (by 24.8%, to UAH 1.2 billion), Volyn (by 24.6%, to UAH 1 billion), Cherkasy (by 17.9%, to UAH 994.8 million), Ivano-Frankivsk (by 14.3%, to UAH 1.4 billion), Khmelnytsky (by 12.7%, to UAH 2 billion), Odesa (by 8.6%, to UAH 8.8 billion), Donetsk (by 8%, to UAH 3 billion), Kharkiv (by 10.3%, to UAH 7.3 billion), Zhytomyr (by 3.7%, to UAH 801.4 million), Kyiv (by 2.4%, to UAH 5.3 billion), Lviv (by 0.5%, to UAH 4.8 billion) regions and Kyiv (by 1.7%, to UAH 18.1 billion).
In other regions, there was a decrease in construction volumes. The most significant drop was shown by Chernivtsi (by 38.7%) and Kirovohrad (by 34.1%) regions.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) is launching seasonal flights on the Kyiv-Nice-Kyiv route from August 8, the restoration of air traffic became possible due to the mitigation of epidemiological requirements on the part of France.
The press service of UIA reported that flights to Nice will be operated every Tuesday and Sunday: departure from Kyiv will be at 09:30, arrival in Nice at 11:35; back – departure at 12:35, arrival at 16:30.
Flights will last until September 29.
In turn, SkyUp Airlines will launch flights on this route from August 19.
As noted on the airline’s Facebook page, they will be carried out on Thursdays and Sundays.
In addition, from August 20, SkyUp will launch flights on the Kyiv-Paris/Beauvais-Kyiv route. They will run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Ukraine in January-June 2021 additionally commissioned 709 MW of new electrical installations based on renewable energy sources (RES), which made it possible to increase the overall capacity of RES generation in the country to 9,225 MW.
According to the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine, in particular, in January-June, wind power plants (WPP) with a capacity of 278.4 MW were additionally built, solar power plants (SPP) for 257.4 MW, SPPs of private households – for 156 MW, biomass power plants – for 10.4 MW, biogas power plants – for 6 MW, and small hydropower facilities (HPP) – for 1.6 MW were also commissioned.
“About EUR530 million has been invested in the establishment of 709 MW of renewable energy facilities,” the agency stressed.
Of the total capacity of 9,225 MW of Ukrainian renewable energy sources, the share of solar power plants is 6,351 MW, renewable energy sources – 1,593 MW, household solar power plants – 933 MW, solid biofuel power plants – 119 MW, small hydroelectric power plants – 118 MW and biogas plants – 111 MW.
The largest renewable energy capacity in Ukraine was commissioned in 2019 – some 4,669 MW, while in 2020 – 1,574 MW, in 2018 – 848 MW, in 2017 – 291 MW, in 2016 – 136 MW, in 2015 – 32 MW.
HPP, RENEWABLE ENERGY, RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITIES, SPP, WPP
The United States House of Representatives has voted to increase the amount of financial assistance to Ukraine. American parliamentarians also supported amendments to the sanctions against Nord Stream 2, the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States said on Facebook.
“According to the bill, the total amount of funds to be allocated for the implementation of assistance programs to Ukraine through the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development and related programs is at least $481.5 million, which is $28.5 million more than this year,” the report says.
Of this estimate, $125 million will be allocated as assistance to Ukraine for security-related purposes, under the article “International military financing,” which is $10 million more than in 2021.
To enter into force, the bill must be agreed and approved by the U.S. Senate and signed by U.S. President Joe Biden.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, JOE BIDEN, NORD STREAM-2, UNITED STATES, UNITED STATES HOUSE
