Ukraine could increase grain exports to China in the 2019/2020 marketing year (MY, July-June), Olena Neroba, the adviser to the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA), has said at a press conference. According to her, China this year has experienced a significant reduction in the number of pigs due to ASF, and since substitution of pork with imports is quite expensive and time consuming, China is likely to compensate for the deficiency of protein in poultry. This factor and the trade war with the United States will lead to an increase in demand for barley and other grains, which Ukraine can take advantage of, Neroba said. If earlier practically the only importer of Ukrainian barley was Saudi Arabia, then the opening of a new market will allow increasing the volume of exports of this crop and raising the price.
She also noted that Ukraine this season has felt some U.S. influence on the Egyptian market, which is one of the main consumers of Ukrainian corn. According to the expert, although the absolute figures of exports to Egypt increased slightly compared to last year, however, the share of Egypt in in the structure of Ukrainian grain exports declined.
On June, 22 and 23 in the «Kyivan Rus Park» an International festival of equestrian martial arts «Scythians» will take place. The key event of the Festival will be the tournament of horseback archers. Skilled sportsmen-virtuosos from Europe and Asia will compete in the traditional (historical) bow shooting accuracy on full gallop.
There will be a rich program: horse-trick performances and competitions, including the demonstrative performances of the ancient martial arts possession, and interactive activities and much more interesting.
The sportsmen and the actors –stuntmen will perform in a tandem with the unique horses of historical breeds gathered from all over the world in the Princely stable. The horses can be palmed, taken a photo with; you can ride on a horseback or in a carriage.
Shooting fireballs from a huge Trebuchet will be the culmination of the festive program.
Ancient Kyiv opens at 10:00. The program starts at 13:30.
The ticket price: a full adult ticket – 250 UAH, for pensioners and students – 150 UAH, for schoolchildren – 60 UAH, for preschool children – for free.
Ancient Kyiv in the «Kyivan Rus Park» is located in Kyiv region, Obukhiv district, the vill. Kopachiv.
Route taxis leave from Kyiv from the «Vydybitchi» metro station.
Details on the website www.parkkyivrus.com
The Interfax subscribers can save money with the “openbusiness-20” promo code for a 20%-discount for a full price adult ticket to the Principality of Kyivan Rus:
– by previous order by tel.: +38 044 461-99-37, +38 050 385-20-35
– or at the cash desk at the entrance to the «Kyivan Rus Park».
Dragon Capital Group plans to finalize deals worth $250 million by the end of 2019, Dragon Capital CEO Tomas Fiala has said.
“We have several deals at the completion stage that we will finish anyway. Before the [presidential] elections we closed deals that we already had on the pipeline for six months or a year. We did not work on the new pipeline because we wanted to see what the outcome of the elections will be. So far, everything that President [Volodymyr] Zelensky and his team are doing does not scare us..,” Fiala told Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of the RAU Investment Forum 2019 in Kyiv on Tuesday.
He said that the company has now resumed the process of creating a pipeline and plans to close about 10 deals in real estate and private equity by the end of this year.
“Within 12 months, if there are the correct appointments to the government, if the ministers suit investors, if they are clean reformers who can implement key structural reforms, if the president and the government do everything to restore the rule of law in the country, we will close about 10 transactions, and it can be an amount of about $250 million,” Fiala said.
He said that despite the rising cost of real estate offered on the secondary market, the growth potential for the company remains enormous.
“After the [parliamentary] elections, we and our partners can quietly double our investments in real estate and private equity in two or three years. We have invested $500 million in the last three and a half years and this figure can be doubled in two or three years. With the right policy of the state, we can invest up to $1 billion,” he said.
In particular, according to Fiala, Dragon Capital is interesting, first of all, in warehouse and office real estate. He predicts further growth in rental rates in these segments due to limited new supply.
At the same time, in connection with the planned large volumes of commissioning new retail real estate in Kyiv, Dragon Capital is more interested in retail real estate in the regions.
“In the warehouse real estate segment it will not make sense to build new facilities until the rates increase by 20%,” he said.
According to Fiala, since 2015, Dragon Capital has acquired 22 properties with a total area of 620,000 square meters in different segments.
“Half of this portfolio is warehouses, and more than 150,000 are offices, as well as commercial real estate… This is a big load on our resources… We had to create a real estate management team from scratch – more than 100 employees. The portfolio shows an increase in operating income of 10-15%. This year, growth may be even higher,” he said.
Capital returns of banks in 2019 would considerably exceed 20%, which is the contingent standard for banking sectors of emerging countries, Director of the Financial Stability Department Vitaliy Vavryschuk said at the presentation of the financial stability report on Tuesday.
“In [the first] five months, the profit is already more than for entire 2018 [in January-May 2019, the net profit of banks was UAH 23.4 billion]. We are confident that capital returns of banks in 2019 would considerably exceed 20%, which is the contingent standard for banking sectors of emerging countries. We do not see any risks to profitability in subsequent quarters,” he said.
According to Vavryschuk, banks should use high profits to form the capital stock. In the coming years, capital requirements will be toughened substantially: it will be necessary to form capital conservation and systemic importance buffers (for systemically important banks), as well as to cover operational and market risks with capital (now only credit risk is covered with capital),” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited foreign business to participate in the investment council under the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, which will meet twice a year. “We have a very large package of innovations. This is our State in Smartphone project, which will ensure a reduction in red tape pressure on people. It is the presidential administration that is restoring the investment council. We would like to hold it twice a year. And we invite you, because the more this council has foreign business, the more transparent it will be,” Zelensky said at a meeting with German businessmen, the press service of the presidential administration of Ukraine said on Tuesday.
The president of Ukraine noted the need to eliminate the pressure of law enforcement on business. Future plans include ensuring the independence of courts and law enforcement agencies, the creation of “electronic customs” and the fight against smuggling.
“The investment climate is a priority for us. I understand what foreign business is afraid of: our law enforcement agencies, which put pressure on businessmen, our courts, which do not protect it,” the head of the Ukrainian state said.
Representatives of the German business said they hoped for the development of cooperation, but this requires an improvement in the investment climate and the adaptation of European standards in Ukraine.
The event was attended by representatives of companies which total portfolio is EUR 220 billion.
“This is more than two GDPs of Ukraine, and these are about 450,000 jobs,” President of the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Andreas Lear said.
The president of Ukraine and business representatives also discussed the investment attractiveness of Ukraine.
Ukraine will start preparing a new program of cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
The press service of the President of Ukraine reported on Tuesday that Zelensky during a meeting with large- and medium-sized businesses in Germany confirmed the cooperation of Ukraine with the IMF, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
“We are starting an agreement with the IMF, we will prepare a new program in July, there will be no default,” the president of Ukraine said.
He also said that, as president, he would not influence the courts or the banking system.
As reported, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Oleksiy Honcharuk said in an interview with NV.Business ezine that Ukraine is preparing for a possible launch of the new three-four-year program of cooperation with the IMF at the end of 2019.
On June 13, 2019, IMF Spokesperson Gerry Rice said in Washington that the IMF expects the completion of parliamentary elections in Ukraine to continue negotiations on further cooperation with the country. Rice recalled that in May the IMF mission worked in Kyiv, which had initial discussions with Zelensky.
The IMF Executive Board, following a meeting on December 19, 2018, approved a new program of cooperation with Ukraine under the Stand-By Arrangement. The amount of the 14-month program is equivalent to SDR 2.8 billion, or about $3.9 billion. Some SDR 1 billion (about $1.4 billion) was provided immediately, while the remaining funds will be provided based on the results of the program reviews in 2019.
The IMF mission worked in Ukraine in May, but left without recommendations on the provision of the new tranche. Head of the mission Ron van Rooden said that the IMF mission is ready to return to Kyiv after the parliamentary elections and the formation of a new government. The IMF team found that fiscal and monetary policies remain on track.
