Advisor to the President of Ukraine on Economics Oleh Ustenko took part in an online meeting with leading businessmen belonging to the CEO Club Ukraine, during which issues related to the development of the Ukrainian economy during the quarantine and the global economic crisis, as well as measures to minimize its negative impact for Ukraine were addressed.
“The presidential advisor answered questions of Ukrainian business, shared his forecasts and scenarios for the development of the economic situation in the country, noting that Ukraine has a good basis for rapid stabilization and growth after the coronavirus epidemic,” the presidential office’s press service said on Thursday.
Ustenko separately dwelt on the issue of adapting the economic strategy of Ukraine to the new operating conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, assuring the business community that the economic system of the state is now under full control.
“Within the framework of the presidential anti-crisis policy, the government and parliament have already adopted two packages of anti-crisis measures, and now the third is being developed, which will include measures to protect businesses from the effects of the epidemic and the global crisis,” the report says.
Ustenko noted the need for everyone to remain, above all, humane during the crisis and not fall into despair.
“We are living in such a difficult time, but we must always remember that there is someone for whom it is much more difficult now. If you helped the weak, please continue to do so. Our financial opportunities during the crisis are reduced. However, it’s important to withdraw from this crisis cleaner and better, more humane and socially responsible,” he stressed.
State-controlled Oschadbank and Ukreximbank (Kyiv) have signed an agreement on cooperation with the State Agency of Ukraine on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving under the program of energy efficiency financing for the population in 2020.
According to a statement on the website of Ukreximbank, the financial institution will provide energy efficiency financing for individuals for energy efficient measures in private houses with the possibility of receiving compensation for 35% of the loan amount, but not more than UAH 14,000.
In order to obtain advice from a loan specialist and determine the time of a visit to a bank office, individuals need to contact the nearest office of the financial institution by telephone in advance. Such measures have been taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and minimize contacts between citizens during the quarantine period, the bank said in the statement.
According to the agency’s statement on its Facebook page on Thursday, April 16, Oschadbank will provide energy efficiency financing to individuals for the purchase of gas boilers with solid fuel, energy efficient materials and equipment for private houses, as well as for associations of multi-apartment block co-owners for the introduction of energy-efficient measures multi-apartment buildings.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vasyl Bodnar has held online talks with his Turkmen counterpart Berdyniyaz Miatiyev during which they agreed to sign a cooperation program between the foreign ministries of Ukraine and Turkmenistan for 2020-2021 in the near future, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine said. “The diplomats noted the importance of active development of political, economic and humanitarian cooperation. With this aim they agreed to sign a cooperation program between the foreign ministries of Ukraine and Turkmenistan for 2020-2021 in the near future,” the ministry said on Wednesday.
The deputy ministers also decided to hold important bilateral events, in particular a meeting between the foreign ministers of the countries and another meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission for economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, after the quarantine.
The Ukrainian diplomat also said that the countries should unite their efforts in order to minimize a negative impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the economies of both countries and protect the rights and interests of their citizens.
“This will help us to ensure active inter-regional cooperation and successful activities of Ukrainian companies in Turkmenistan, as well as restore mutually beneficial energy cooperation,” the ministry said.
The diplomats also discussed promising areas of cooperation between their countries within international organizations, including the UN.
The sides also agreed on building of active cultural and humanitarian cooperation, learning opportunities for intensification of cooperation in the spheres of science, education and technology, training diplomats and holding online lectures during the quarantine, the ministry said.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during Freedom of Speech of Savik Shuster program on Ukraine TV Channel later on Friday presented a brief strategy of gradual weakening of the quarantine for the period from early May by early July.
He also promised to report a more detailed plan, which is now being drawn up, in three or four weeks.
“This plan is under work, in fact we are working over it round the clock. As soon as it is ready and improved, it will be immediately presented to the public. Believe me, it would be one of the best [plan] among our neighboring states. It has credit holidays, and refinancing of loans, support for poor and unemployed,” the premier said.
According to his brief strategy, the first quarantine step called “Ukraine is going to work” is foreseen for early May – early June.
It involves the creation of 500,000 jobs, credit support for small and medium-sized businesses, partial removal of restrictions on public transport and a shifted work schedule.
The second stage named “New standards of social life” is scheduled for early June-early July.
During this period, it is planned to complete the 2019-2020 school year, restore the operation of public transport according to the new rules, allow access to recreation areas, subject to safety standards, and to weaken isolation conditions for older people.
Shmyhal emphasized that while Ukraine should adhere to the emergency regime in order to pass the epidemic according to the optimistic scenario with a drop in GDP to 5%, and not according to the pessimistic one, in which GDP fall is estimated at 15%.
In this emergency mode, according to the presentation presented by the prime minister, it is planned to support socially vulnerable segments of the population, to help the unemployed and those on forced leave, to mobilize medical resources and to support the medical staff and all those involved in the fight against the epidemic.
The An-225 Mriya aircraft belonged to Antonov State Enterprise flew to China on April 15 to deliver medical supplies to help in fight against the coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic in France.
The state-owned enterprise (SOE) Antonov said on its Facebook page that the Mriya aircraft will take on board a new batch of medical supplies in China to fight COVID-19 and will land at Chalons Vatry Airport in France on April 18.
The enterprise also said that Antonov Company continues manufacturing the An-178 aircraft under the contract concluded by SpetsTechnoExport with the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Peru. As of today, the preparatory works for jig assembly of the aircraft’s fuselage have been completed.
“Assembly of the fuselage nose part (F1) and the fuselage center section (F-2) are at the final stage in the production shop. Manufacture of the central part of the wing, left and right cantilever parts of the wing, empennage has been fully completed. Two engine pylons are ready for further integration into the aircraft,” the company said in the statement on its website.
According to the company, to date, Antonov Airlines has already transported more than 1,400 tonnes of cargo from China to various countries in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has decided that Ukrainian producers of thermally processed products from poultry, pork and eggs will be able to obtain permits for exporting products to the Singapore market, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine said.
“Any crises also bring new opportunities. The access of Ukrainian goods to the Singapore market will help our entrepreneurs increase exports, despite the coronavirus [COVID-19] crisis,” the Foreign Ministry’s press service said, citing Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Friday.
The Foreign Minister said that global markets and chains of goods supply are currently being transformed due to a pandemic, and Ukraine is able to use the changes to its advantage, first of all, revealing the hidden potential of exports to Asian markets.
Detailed explanations of the terms of export to Singapore can be obtained from the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
The Foreign Ministry said that Ukrainian exporters who use the new opportunities should fill the form of the Ukrainian exporter from the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Singapore (it concerns only the export of Ukrainian goods to the markets of ASEAN countries: Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand) at the link: https://goo.gl/forms/wL5iAZEOk82bfv3n2.
