Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has met with Regional Director for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Hans Kluge, the parties discussed the fight against COVID-19 in Ukraine.
“Ukraine fully supports WHO in its efforts to ensure adequate testing and approval of vaccines, and advocates for equitable distribution of vaccines in a spirit of global solidarity. I am convinced that the Cooperation Agreement between Ukraine and WHO lays a solid foundation and contains a clear roadmap for our expanded cooperation,” the press service of the government quoted Shmyhal as saying.
The head of government stressed that today the development of safe and effective vaccines is the way out of the pandemic.
“Ukraine is a member of the COVAX Global Fund initiative, thanks to which we expect to receive the required amount of vaccines in the first quarter of the next year. At the same time, we would be grateful for help in obtaining a certain amount of vaccines faster,” the prime minister said.
Shmyhal noted that Ukraine is also considering the possibility of producing vaccines using its own pharmaceutical facilities, provided that they meet the necessary requirements of the developer company.
The Verkhovna Rada has changed the age limit for working in the civil service.
The adoption of relevant bill No. 4096 was backed by 300 MPs at a meeting on Wednesday.
In particular, the Rada excluded from the law “On Civil Service” the provision that a person who has reached the age of 65 cannot enter the civil service.
Instead, they are given the opportunity to be appointed to a civil servant position for one year, with the right to reappointment without the obligatory annual competition.
The adopted bill provides that their further stay in the civil service is possible for no more than 70 years.
This law comes into force on the day following its publication.
Also, according to the law, the term of service in local self-government bodies was extended, but by no more than five years by the decision of the village, settlement, city chairman, chairman of the district, district one in the city, regional council. Such a decision to extend the term of service in local self-government bodies is made by the chairman of the relevant council annually, but no more than until the civil servant reaches the age of 70.
In 2020, Ukrainian agricultural producers harvested 65.4 million tonnes of cereals and legumes from an area of 15.3 million hectares. The operational data of the regions on the results of the harvesting campaign was announced on Tuesday by Minister of Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture Ihor Petrashko.
According to a report on the ministry’s website, in particular, 25.1 million tonnes of wheat from 6.6 million hectares and 29.8 million tonnes of corn from 5.3 million hectares were harvested.
According to the State Statistics Service, in 2019 Ukraine harvested 75.1 million tonnes of cereals and legumes (70.1 million tonnes in 2018), of which 28.3 million tonnes of wheat (24.6 million tonnes) and 35.9 million tonnes of corn (35.8 million tonnes a year earlier).
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has excluded from the State Register of Financial Institutions such companies as׃ Credit Institution Credit Commerce LLC, Financial Company Monopolium Finance LLC, Finance and Credit Group Chaika LLC on the basis of their applications.
As reported on the regulator’s website, the relevant decisions were made by the NBU Committee on Supervision and Regulation of Non-Bank Financial Services Markets at a meeting on December 11, 2020.
According to the NBU, Credit Commerce had one license to issue loans, financial loans as well. As of September 30, 2020, the volume of assets of this institution was UAH 10.7 million, or 0.006% of the total assets of financial companies.
Monopolium Finance had three licenses: for the provision of guarantees and sureties, loans, financial loans, as well as factoring services. The licenses were revoked at a committee meeting on November 20. The company’s assets amounted to UAH 403.9 million, or 0.2% of the total assets of financial companies.
Finance and Credit Group Chaika had one license for issuing loans, including financial ones. The license was revoked on July 30, the volume of assets is UAH 5.9 million, or 0.003% of the total assets of financial companies.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) on Tuesday decided to impose a fine of UAH 175.9 million on JSC DTEK Zakhidenergo and UAH 99.2 million on D.Trading LLC for abuse of monopoly position on the Burshtyn Energy Island in July-October 2019.
For its part, DTEK considers the decision taken as biased and unfounded.
“During the consideration of the case, the committee did not conduct a proper study of the functioning of the electricity market, the evidence and expert opinions provided were ignored,” DTEK said in a statement following the decision.
The international vertically integrated pipe and wheel company Interpipe (Dnipro) has appointed Artem Poliakov, the former director general of PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, as well as the ex-vice president of ArcelorMittal Group, a new director general.
According to a press release from the company, Poliakov will take office on January 1, 2021.
“Fadi Hraibi who led Interpipe since 2016 will chair the board of directors of the company,” the report says.
“Under the leadership of Mr. Hraibi Interpipe implemented the transformation of its operating model, significantly consolidated its positions at the export markets, and entered new segments of production and sales of premium products. Interpipe also restructured its debt obligations, strengthening its financial position to the level of leaders in the Ukrainian corporate and industrial sectors,” the press release reads.
“Artem Poliakov has long-standing experience in managing large-scale industrial companies. In particular, he served as the CEO of PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, and hold also the post of Vice President of ArcelorMittal Group. In addition, he worked for Lafarge Group,” according to the document.
