The State Agency for Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor), within the framework of a joint anti-corruption project, will reconfigure its management and procurement practices in accordance with the recommendations of the consultants of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
On Tuesday, March 12, a kick-off meeting was held on the development and implementation of the Anti-Corruption Action Plan for the road industry of Ukraine within the framework of the specified joint project, Ukravtodor said on its Telegram channel.
The loan agreement between Ukravtodor and the EBRD worth EUR 450 million, signed in December last year, provides for the implementation of four important reforms for the road industry: procurement reform, improved traffic safety, development of infrastructure for electric transport and anti-corruption reform.
“We highly appreciate the initiative of Ukravtodor to implement this project, because it should result in a completely updated management system for the road industry. In case of a successful launch of an anti-corruption pilot project in Ukravtodor, this experience can be scaled up to other business entities and public sector organizations who are partners of the EBRD in Ukraine,” head of transport projects of the EBRD Andriy Tsokol is quoted as saying in the message.
The Basel Institute on Governance (Switzerland), an international non-profit anti-corruption organization that works in partnership with the Ukrainian law firm Sayenko Kharenko, has been involved in the work on the implementation of anti-corruption reform.
“By May of this year, the consultants will study and analyze the procurement and management processes in Ukravtodor from the point of view of preventing corruption. Based on the study, it is planned to finalize and approve the Anti-Corruption Action Plan in July 2021. Until 2023, the consultant will accompany the implementation of the Plan in Ukravtodor and its subdivisions,” the message reads.
Head of Ukravtodor Oleksandr Kubrakov also noted that over the past year the agency managed to create uniform procurement rules in the industry, introduce independent technical supervision and additional control of design decisions.
“We worked to prevent corruption risks by digitalizing management processes and improving executive and financial discipline. A pilot project with the EBRD gives a chance for these changes to become irreversible,” he stressed.
As reported, Ukravtodor initiated the inclusion of the Anti-Corruption Pilot Project in the loan agreement with the EBRD in the spring of 2020. The terms of the agreement provide for the mandatory implementation of reforms in order to receive credit tranches.
ANTI-CORRUPTION, ANTI-CORRUPTION PROJECT, EBRD, LAUNCHES, LAUNCHES PROJECT, STATE AGENCY FOR ROADS
The volume of revenues from freight traffic in 2020 was affected by the factor of a large share in the transportation of non-class goods, the tariff for the movement of which is much lower than the economically justified one, the press service of UZ said on Tuesday.
Ukrzaliznytsia notes that the company has already initiated the transfer of non-class cargo to the first class in the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine. It is about the liberalization of tariff formation in freight traffic and the need to get rid of the atavisms that have existed since Soviet times, when goods are divided into classes. The classifier determines which coefficient is added to the tariff. The logic of this division was that the tariff for the carriage of goods depended on its value, which is not relevant in a market economy.
This year, UZ plans to transport 314 million tonnes of cargo, which is almost 3% more than in 2020.
As reported with reference to UZ, Ukrzaliznytsia in September-December 2020 increased its revenue from cargo transportation to UAH 22.04 billion. During this period, the average monthly income from cargo transportation amounted to UAH 5.5 billion, which is 4.5% more than in July-August and 7.9% more than in January-June 2020.
More than 50% of Ukrainians do not intend to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to results of a study conducted by the sociological service of the Razumkov Center from March 5 to 9.
According to the results of the poll, 51.5% of respondents answered that they do not intend to get vaccinated against coronavirus, 12% intend to get vaccine in the near future (or have already received such a vaccine), 16% intend to do it, but later, 10% intend to do it only when it will be necessary for formal requirements (for example, for a trip abroad), 10% have not decided yet.
At the same time, according to the research, the older the respondents, the more often they express a lack of desire to be vaccinated (their share increases from 43.5% among those who are from 18 to 29 years old, to 57% among those who are 60 and over).
Among those who do not give up their intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19, 52% are ready to be vaccinated only in case that vaccination is free, 22.5% of them are willing to pay for it, and another 5% are willing to pay to get vaccinated out of turn (21% were undecided).
The older the respondents, the more often they answer that they are ready to be vaccinated only free of charge (the proportion of such increases from 42% among those who are 18 to 29 years old, to 64% among those who are 60 and over).
Those respondents who do not intend to be vaccinated are most often motivated by the fact that, in their opinion, the vaccines used in Ukraine are not sufficiently effective or safe, but they are ready to be vaccinated with “some other” vaccine (this answer is given by 45% of those who do not intend to vaccinate).
So, 27% of them motivate their refusal by the fact that, in their opinion, the risks from vaccination exceed the risks from the disease itself, 10% by the fact that they have already had coronavirus, 7% have medical contraindications, 3% believe that the probability that that they will get COVID-19, is very low.
Justification of refusal to vaccinate with insufficient effectiveness or insufficient safety of vaccines used in Ukraine is most common among representatives of the younger age group (18-29 years old) (54% of those, who do not intend to vaccinate against COVID-19, motivate their refusal by this).
The survey was conducted by the method of face-to-face interviews at the place of residence of the respondents. 2,018 respondents aged 18 and over were interviewed in all regions of Ukraine, with the exception of Crimea and the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to a sample representing the adult population in terms of basic socio-demographic indicators.
The theoretical sampling error (excluding the design effect) does not exceed 2.3% with a probability of 0.95.
National bank of Ukraine’s official rates as of 17/03/21
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of March 17
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
Ferrexpo mining company with assets in Ukraine at the end of 2020 saw $635.292 million in net profit, which is 57.5% higher than in 2019 ($403.293 million).
According to the annual statements published by the company on the London Stock Exchange on Wednesday, its revenue grew by 12.8% last year, to $1.7 billion from $1.507 billion.
Underlying EBITDA rose by 46%, to $859 million (in 2019 it was $586 million). The company increased its net cash flow from operations by 45%, to $687 million ($473 million). Capital investment decreased 17%, to $206 million ($247 million).
Non-executive Chair of Ferrexpo Lucio Genovese said that the year 2020 was one that will be remembered as a difficult time for communities around the world. In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Ferrexpo acted swiftly, setting up a dedicated COVID-19 Response Fund in March 2020, approving $2.5 million for supporting local communities, in addition to taking significant measures to protect our workforce.
“Although COVID-19 caused disruption to global iron ore demand patterns, our central geographic location between Europe and Asia, coupled with flexibility our logistics capacity, enabled us to efficiently pivot towards China in 2020, as it quickly emerged from the pandemic with a strong growth focus on metals. The resultant rise in iron ore prices, coupled with the group’s increase in production and cost control, has driven the strong financial performance for the group in 2020,” he said.
Genovese said that through consistent investment and capital management, the group has once again been able to deliver strong financial performance, coupled with shareholder returns. Dividends paid during the 2020 calendar year grew by 26% to $195 million, after re-investing $206 million back into operations and $148 million of debt repayments.
“In light of the Group’s strong operational and financial performance, coupled with the group’s transition to a net cash position and continued healthy iron ore prices, the group is pleased to announce today a further special interim dividend of 39.6 U.S. cents, bringing total dividends paid in respect of 2020 to 72.6 U.S. cents (2019: 19.8 U.S. cents). The Board will consider, as appropriate, whether or not to propose a final dividend in respect of 2020, which if proposed will be put to the group’s AGM,” he said.
As reported, Ferrexpo in 2020 increased its total pellet production by 7% compared to 2019, to 11.218 million tonnes. Concentrate output grew by 5.9%, to 14 million tonnes.
Ferrexpo is an iron ore company with assets in Ukraine.
Ferrexpo owns 100% of shares in Poltava Mining, 100% in Yeristovo Mining and 99.9% in Belanovo Mining.
Ferrexpo is listed on the main floor of the London Stock Exchange.
