The Ukrainian Startup Fund will start accepting applications from startups in November 2019, and plans to hold a pitch event in December, member of the fund’s supervisory board Lesia Sevruk has told Interfax-Ukraine. “At present, a portal is being developed through which applications will be submitted. Accordingly, they are not yet available. Submitting applications through the portal is fundamental for us to minimize the subjective influence of the fund’s employees on the selection process. We plan to receive applications in November, and an event in December,” she said.
According to her, the fund’s supervisory board has approved the procedure for issuing grants and regulations on the commission and expert council.
“In the near future we will form a commission and an expert council,” Sevruk added.
As reported, the Ukrainian Startup Fund with a budget of UAH 400 million was launched in July 2019. The fund plans to give grants to startups at an early stage in the amount of $25,000 to $75,000. The fund announced the first five transactions by the end of 2019.
NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy has approved the creation of Naftogaz Oil Trading LLC in the oil division of the group, which will be engaged in trade with oil and petroleum products.
The decision of the shareholders – Ukrtransnafta – dated October 3, 2019 was posted on the website of the oil transmission network operator of Ukraine.
The directorate of Ukrtransnafta is to take the required measures to register Naftogaz Oil Trading LLC and ensure its further functioning.
Raiffeisen Bank Aval, ProCredit Bank and OTP Bank (all based in Kyiv) have signed a credit line agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) for the total amount of up to EUR 70 million in hryvnia equivalent under the SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) Finance Facility of the EU4Business initiative.
An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that the signing ceremony took place at the EBRD office on Tuesday.
In particular, Raiffeisen Bank Aval will receive a credit line with the limit of EUR 25 million in hryvnia equivalent, ProCredit Bank – EUR 20 million in hryvnia equivalent, and OTP Bank – EUR 25 million in hryvnia equivalent.
The total limit of the facility is EUR 120 million in hryvnia equivalent.
Changes in currency exchange, UAH/RUB, 31.07.19.-30.09.19.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine is interested in participation in the regulation of the crypto assets market, a representative of the ministry Oleksandr Borniakov said at the Blockchain Society and the State of Ukraine open-door meeting in Kyiv.
“The ministry’s plans are to ensure that mining is launched legally after determining its status. That is, those involved in mining could do this without fear that they are in some kind of “gray zone,” he said.
Borniakov said that the Ministry of Digital Transformation also considers its task to ensure all conditions for international cryptocurrency exchanges to work in the country.
According to a message in the Facebook social network that, in accordance with the resolution published last week, the Ministry of Digital Transformation is responsible for the formation and implementation of the government policy in the field of the IT industry, therefore the issue of introducing blockchain technology, its application in public administration and the development of virtual assets is extremely urgent.
According to the ministry, the state plans for the next two to three years the following: legislatively define terminology; work out a compromise version of taxation in this area; by the summer of 2020, implement the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering; introduce blockchain technology into public registers; legalize mining and attract international cryptocurrency exchanges to the country.
In this regard, in the near future, the Ministry of Digital Transformation plans to sign a memorandum with the Blockchain4Ukraine inter-faction parliamentary group of the Verkhovna Rada, including more than 50 deputies, the Blockchain Association of Ukraine (BAU), the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) and other institutions.
“A concept that is understandable for all players should be developed in Ukraine – definitions, information exchange, who regulates and how, issuing licenses, limits, and other things. It will be great if the Ministry of Digital Transformation assumes this… A regulator of market behavior in this area should be defined, as without this, the rights of consumers and investors may be infringed,” acting Director of the Department of Strategy and Reform of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Mykhailo Vidiakin said, commenting on this issue in the Facebook social network.
He also called for the prompt adoption of the required legislation and the development of a strategy with specifying the place of crypto assets in the development of the financial market of Ukraine.
“Now we are developing a strategy for the development of the financial sector until 2025, in which regulators accept proposals from the market. Documents and a form for submitting e-proposals are available on the NBU’s website in the Comprehensive Program for the Development of the Financial Sector section,” Vidiakin said.
Minsk Tractor Plant plans in 2020 to provide Ukrainian dealers with about 5,000 tractors and tractor sets of various modifications.
According to the report on the plant’s website, the corresponding contracts were signed with dealers during the exhibition of large-sized equipment at the Second Forum of Regions of Belarus and Ukraine in Zhytomyr on October 3-4, which gathered 15 Belarusian manufacturers of equipment and ten Ukrainian producers.
At the exhibition, the plant presented seven models of Belarus tractors, including Belarus 320.4 for small farms and Belarus 82.1, Belarus 892.2, Belarus 3522.5 for large farms.
OJSC Minsk Tractor Plant is one of the largest agricultural equipment manufacturers in the world. In addition to the plant, the holding includes nine enterprises, 26 assembly facilities abroad. More than 17,000 people work in production, while products are presented in the markets of more than 60 countries.
