Ukraine’s life insurance companies in January-September 2019 collected UAH 3.294 billion of gross insurance premiums, which is 20.2% more than in the same period a year earlier. According to a report on the website of the National Commission for the State Regulation of the Financial Services Market, 96.8% of total insurance premiums came from individuals, 3.2% from legal entities. As of September 30, 2019, the number of insured individuals increased by 15.9%, to 4.950 million.
Over the specified period, life companies paid customers UAH 427.4 million, which is 20.4% less than in the same period a year earlier.
The value of changes in life insurance reserves amounted to UAH 597 million, which is 20.2% less than in the nine months a year earlier.
The largest increase in life insurance reserves (over UAH 90 million) was declared by four life insurance companies in the amount of UAH 397.8 million, UAH 109.6 million, UAH 97.4 million, and UAH 91.7 million respectively.
According to the regulator, the number of life insurance companies in Ukraine as of September 30, 2019 decreased to 23 from 31.
Kyiv Zhuliany International Airport in January-November 2019 served 2.414 million passengers, which is 7.4% less than in January-November 2018. According to statistics released by the airport’s press service, the number of passengers served on international flights for the 11 months amounted to almost 2.358 million people, on domestic flights some 56,400 people. The number of flights in January-November 2019 amounted to 25,565 for arrival/departure, which is 8.6% less than in the same period in 2018, in particular, 21,532 international flights, and 4,033 domestic flights.
The most popular international destinations for the indicated period were Minsk (Belarus), Warsaw (Poland), Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt), Rome (Italy), Vienna (Austria), Berlin, Frankfurt (both are Germany); internal Odesa, Zaporizhia, and Lviv.
In November 2019, the airport served 180,100 passengers, which is 1.35% less than in November 2018. The number of passengers served on international flights amounted to 177,500, on domestic flights some 2,600 people.
At the same time, the number of flights in November amounted to 2,029 for arrival/departure, which is 1.3% less than in the same period in 2018, of which 1,764 international and 265 domestic flights.
The new version of the law on joint-stock companies, proposed by lawmakers representing different parliamentary factions (bill No. 2493) will reduce the number of appeals in courts, but at the same time claims will concern more serious reasons, according to lawyers interviewed by Interfax-Ukraine.
“With regard to judicial practice, final conclusions can be drawn after the signing of the finalized law. But it is predicted that there will be fewer claims than now, but they will be on more significant occasions,” said Managing Partner at the Revealing Information law firm Alexander Keer.
Keer also said toughening the requirements for transparency of the activities of the supervisory boards of a joint-stock company, which is proposed by the bill, will narrow the range of opportunities for “avoiding” the law, which, in turn, will positively influence the number of complaints about violations.
In addition, Keer believes that changing the approach to dividing joint-stock companies into public and private, as well as the refusal to fix their types in joint-stock companies’ names will not significantly affect the business sector.
At the same time, he noted that an “institution of advisers,” which is proposed by the bill, indeed, can simplify the life of enterprises, but this institution will work only in a certain period of time.
“Positive is the simplification of the process of merging, joining, dividing, splitting, reorganizing a company, since this is not only a step towards simplifying a business, but also a step towards reducing the corruption component,” Keer said.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has postponed the introduction of the Euro 6 emission standard for cars during their production and import from 2020 until 2025.
Some 356 Members of Parliament voted in favor of bill No. 2078-1 as a whole with technical and legal amendments, while the minimum number of votes necessary for the adoption of the document was 226, according to an Interfax-Ukraine reporter.
The Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise (UkSATSE) and the German company Thales Deutschland GmbH have signed an agreement to supply five sets of modern comprehensively targeted range-finding radio beacons, the UkSATSE said on its website. New beacons will be installed throughout Ukraine and will improve the quality of navigation services in the relevant areas of the airspace of Ukraine.
The project is funded by a credit from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). Equipment was purchased in accordance with EBRD rules and procedures.
“The characteristics of all navigation devices installed by the UkSATSE comply with ICAO standards and recommended practices and the national certification requirements,” the report said.
The company also notes that the UkSATSE has been cooperating with the leading German manufacturer of air navigation equipment Thales for about 20 years.
Presidential bill No. 2300 on the abolition of a government monopoly on alcohol production from July 1, 2020, has passed its second reading and has been adopted as a whole. It was backed by 284 lawmakers, namely 229 MPs from the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, three from Batkivschyna, 19 from the Holos (Voice) Party, 14 from the For Future parliamentary group, and 19 independent lawmakers. Bill No. 2300 on amendments to the law on state regulation of the production and sale of ethyl, cognac and fruit alcohol, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and fuels provides for the abolition of a government monopoly on the production of alcohol from July 1, 2020.
In addition, the bill allows business entities – regardless of their form of ownership – to produce alcohol with an appropriate license, and also provides for the full liberalization of alcohol exports from Ukraine.
A license for the production of ethyl alcohol is issued to enterprises with established round-the-clock video surveillance systems for the production and distribution of products. Disabling video surveillance systems is the basis for the refusal to issue a license or its recall, the document says.
At the same time, to protect the local commodity producer, the bill provides that only state-owned enterprises authorized by the Cabinet of Ministers will be able to import ethyl alcohol until January 1, 2024.
In addition, the bill provides for a ban on commissioning new alcohol production facilities before July 1, 2021. It also introduces an obligation to maintain jobs at privatized enterprises at 70% of the total number of employees for this period.
The bill also introduces mandatory denaturation of bioethanol with petrol from 1-10% for use in the domestic market.
