The deficit of Ukraine’s foreign trade in goods in January-August 2020 decreased 59.4% compared to January-August 2019, to $2.399 billion from $5.915 billion, the State Statistics Service reported on Thursday.
According to its data, the export of goods from Ukraine for the reporting period compared to the same period in 2019 decreased 6.6%, to $30.843 billion, imports fell by 14.6%, to $33.242 billion.
The State Statistics Service said that in August 2020, compared with July 2020, the seasonally adjusted volume of exports increased 5%, to $4.068 billion, imports grew by 1.6%, to $4.462 billion.
The seasonally adjusted foreign trade balance in August 2020 also saw a deficit and amounted to $393.6 million, which, however, is better than the previous month ($517.2 million). The export coverage ratio of imports in January-August this year amounted to 0.93 (in January-August 2019 it was 0.85).
The State Statistics Service said that foreign trade operations were carried out with partners from 225 countries.
National bank of Ukraine’s official rates as of 16/10/20
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of October 16
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
The Parliamentary Committee of the Nation’s Health, Medical Assistance and Health Insurance recommended for consideration at the first reading the draft law on the public health system (No. 4142), which provides for the creation of a competent authority in the field of public health.
The committee made the corresponding decision at a meeting on Thursday.
Introducing the bill, Deputy Minister of Health, Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Viktor Liashko said that the bill provides for the creation of a single vertical of public health from the national to the local level, which will, in particular, be able to quickly respond to emergency events in the public health system, including responses to outbreaks of diseases, epidemics and accidents of various origins.
The structure of the proposed model provides for the creation of an authorized body in the field of public health at the national level.
“It can be created both from the so-called scratch and on the basis of existing structures with the status of a central executive body. This authorized body in the field of public health is subordinate to the Cabinet, and its activities are directed and coordinated by the Minister of Health. The head of the authorized body becomes and exercises powers of the chief state sanitary doctor of Ukraine,” said Liashko.
According to him, the bill provides that territorial departments of the authorized body will be created at the regional level, and the head of the territorial department will be the chief state sanitary doctor of the corresponding administrative territory.
In addition, the bill provides for the creation of a network of centers for the control and prevention of diseases, which will be formed on the basis of laboratory centers, as well as regional public health centers, which have begun to be created as part of the formation of the public health system.
Centers for control and prevention of deseases at the regional level will be subordinate to the territorial body of the authorized body in the field of public health.
The bill provides that the Center for Public Health will retain its functionality and expertise and will enter the new system as a state institution.
It is assumed that the financing of the new system will be carried out from the state budget provided for expenditures on state public health programs; it is also additionally provided for the possibility of attracting funds from local budgets allocated for financing local public health programs.
Experts Club systematically analyzes food and health topics; you can observe some programs on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG3aN6utXFM
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Ukrainians to speak out on the day of local elections on October 25 whether they support the reduction of the number of members of the Verkhovna Rada from 450 to 300 MPs, the legalization of medical cannabis and raising of the issue of using the security guarantees defined by the Budapest Memorandum at the international level.
“Here are three final questions from the survey. Should the number of parliament members in the Verkhovna Rada be reduced to 300? Do you support the legalization of medical cannabis in Ukraine to reduce pain for seriously ill patients? Should Ukraine raise the issue of using the security guarantees defined by the Budapest memorandum at the international level?” Zelensky wrote on his Facebook page on Friday.
At the same time, he turned to subscribers who support the survey on these items: “Then come to the polls on October 25 and let us know your opinion!” “And in the comments (…) you can suggest questions for the next polls. After all, their outcomes depend on you!” added the head of state.
As reported, on October 13, Zelensky announced a nationwide poll in the country during local elections on October 25, in which citizens will be asked to answer five questions. Talking about what questions will be proposed, he said: “More on that later.”
On October 14, Zelensky invited Ukrainians, as the first question for a nationwide poll, to express their opinion on whether it is necessary to introduce life sentences in the country for corruption on an especially large scale.
On October 15, he made public the second question for the citizens of Ukraine: to express the opinion whether they support the creation of a free economic zone in Donbas.
The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) has announced the holding of auctions for the privatization of the Marylivsky and Kozliv distilleries and the storage of alcohol belonged to the state-owned enterprise Ukrspyrt (both in Ternopil region).
According to a statement on the SPF website, the privatization auction of the Marylivsky distillery will take place on November 12, 2020.
The starting price of the facility is UAH 54.7 million.
The auction for the privatization of the Kozliv distillery will take place on November 13, 2020.
The starting price of the facility is UAH 37.6 million.
