DTEK Group through January-June 2019 reduced coal imports by 33.6% (501,400 tonnes) compared to the same period last year, to 991,300 tonnes, according to a press release from the company.
In the first half of the year, DTEK enterprises decreased production of coal by 2.5% compared to the same period of 2018, to 12.571 million tonnes.
In particular, the production of G and DG grade coal (Ukraine) for the first sixth months of 2019 decreased by 0.9%, to 11.325 million tonnes. Production of A grade coal by Obukhovskaya mine (the Russian Federation) for this period decreased by 14.8%, to 1.246 million tonnes.
Concentrate output fell by 5.5%, to 5.485 million tonnes. In particular, output at third-party processing plants in Ukraine fell by 85.2%, to 72,200 tonnes, while at Obukhovskaya mine fell by 6.7%, to 847,300 tonnes.
The net profit of state-owned PrivatBank in January-August 2019 amounted to UAH 25.8 billion, which is almost three times more than a year ago, Board Chairman Petr Krumphanzl said at a press conference in Dnipro last week. According to him, the bank’s net commission income in January-August 2019 totaled UAH 11.6 billion, and its share of the bank’s income was 45.1%. “The growth in commission income is the result of an increase in the number of active customers and transactions of Privat24 online bank,” the board chairman said.
As reported, Ukraine’s government, at the recommendation of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and former shareholders of PrivatBank, the largest of whom at that time were Kolomoisky and Boholiubov, on December 18, 2016 decided to nationalize PrivatBank, the largest Ukrainian financial institution. The state injected over UAH 155 billion in the bank’s capital.
PrivatBank ranked first as of July 1, 2019 in terms of total assets (UAH 522.422 billion) among 76 operating Ukrainian banks, according to the NBU.
It is proposed that the early elections of Kyiv mayor and deputies of Kyiv City Council be scheduled for December 8, 2019.
This is provided for in the final and transitional provisions of bill No. 2143 on amendments to the law on the capital of Ukraine, the hero city of Kyiv, which was registered by a group of MPs from the Servant of the People Party in parliament on September 13.
As reported, this bill proposes to legislate the functioning of district councils in Kyiv, reduce the maximum number of deputies of local councils to 84 people and authorize the head of Kyiv City State Administration to appeal against the acts of local governance in the capital.
Metinvest B.V. (the Netherlands), the parent company of Metinvest mining and metallurgical group, in January-June of this year reduced international sales by 7% compared to the same period last year, to $4.190 billion, providing 72% of consolidated revenue. According to preliminary unaudited interim financial results for the first half of 2019, sales in Ukraine fell by 3% during the reporting period, to $1.628 billion as a result of lower prices and sales of flat products amid a weaker demand from pipe producers, as well as lower coke sales volumes due to reduced production volumes. As a result, the share of Ukraine in consolidated revenue increased by 1 percentage point, to 28%.
The report notes that in the first half of 2019, sales to Europe fell by 2%, mainly due to lower prices for the sale of steel products. At the same time, the region’s share in consolidated revenue grew by 1 p.p., to 35%. Sales to the countries of the Middle East and North Africa were down by 22% against the background of a decrease in sales of semi-finished products and flat products, as well as lower sales prices for these goods. As a result, the region’s share in consolidated revenue decreased by 4 percentage points, to 17%.
Sales in the CIS countries fell by 6% due to lower sales prices and sales volumes of long products, while the region’s share in consolidated revenue remained at 7%. Sales in Southeast Asia grew by 66% due to growth in sales volumes of slabs, square billets and iron ore products. As a result, the share of this market in consolidated revenue increased by 3 p.p., to 7%.
The commodity group “equipment and electronics” in 2018 was the leader in smuggling deliveries to Ukraine and accounted for 21.4% of the total volume of smuggled deliveries to the country. This was reported by the economist of the independent analytical group of macroeconomists Ukraine Economic Outlook, Hryhoriy Kukuruza, during the round table in Kyiv. According to him, the smuggling of this group of goods in 2018 amounted to $1.3 billion, which is 31% of the total imports of these goods ($4.1 billion).
At the same time, according to the expert, the market of technical consumer goods in the second quarter of 2019 showed an increase of 15% and amounted to UAH 21 billion.
Representatives of household appliance retailers present at the round table noted that the government, first of all, needs to fight not against smuggling but with its sale within the country. In particular, in their opinion, it is necessary to pass a bill that will prohibit the sale of smuggled goods in Ukraine.
“The reason for smuggling is uncontrolled domestic trade within the country. The goods are sold – no one knows about it … Therefore, it is necessary to create conditions so that no one needs smuggling,” Hennadiy Verbylenko, the chairman of the supervisory board of Comfy, said.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has said that the number of counterfeit hryvnia banknotes and their sum in H1 2019 fell by 26% and 20% respectively year-over-year.
As the regulator said on the website, most (99%) of banknotes withdrawn from circulation traditionally had four denominations: UAH 500 (50% counterfeit), UAH 100 (24%), UAH 200 (14%) and UAH 50 (11%), then as counterfeit banknotes with face values from UAH 1 to UAH 20 amounted to only 1%.
“Most often, the detected counterfeit banknotes came true through the cash desks of fast food, retail outlets and gas stations,” the regulator said.
The National Bank said that 93% of the seized counterfeit banknotes were made using inkjet printers, 6% by laser printers and using color copiers, 1% of counterfeit banknotes was made by printing.
The NBU said that in August, there was an increase in the withdrawal from circulation of counterfeit banknotes with a face value of UAH 500 printed in 2006, counterfeited using inkjet printing with imitation of ultraviolet protection. “There was the seizure of about 60 banknotes that were sold at the box office gas stations in different regions of the country (Kyiv city and region, Zakarpattia, Volyn, and Zhytomyr regions),” the National Bank said.
