The state-owned Oschadbank, according to preliminary results (without corrections and before the audit), in 2020 received a net profit of UAH 2.8 billion compared to UAH 277 million in 2019, the bank said on Friday.
“Since 2016, the bank has continued to operate profitably. The return on equity [RoE] of the bank at the end of 2020 is 13.8% and significantly exceeds the corresponding result in 2019 [some 1.3%],” the document said.
At the same time, Oschadbank said that the results of 2020 were significantly affected by creating reserves in accordance with international financial reporting standards (IFRS 9), due to negative forecasts for the activities of certain sectors of the economy. “These forecasts are caused by the application of adaptive and full quarantine restrictions in the fight against the coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic, as well as the current slowdown in business activity,” Oschadbank said.
Over the nine months of 2020, it posted a net profit of UAH 4.74 billion, which is 25 times higher than this indicator for the same period in 2019 (some UAH 189 million). The bank’s net interest income for the three quarters of last year increased by 35.4%, to UAH 5.67 billion, and the net commission income by 8.4%, to UAH 3.24 billion.
According to the report, the net interest income of Oschadbank as a whole for 2020 increased by UAH 2.5 billion, or by 45.4%, to about UAH 8 billion, mainly due to a decrease in interest expenses due to cheaper funding.
The financial institution indicated a significant increase in the fixed-term resource base last year more than UAH 9 billion (10%), including on deposits of individuals UAH 4.9 billion, and on deposits of business entities UAH 4.3 billion.
The loan portfolio for the year decreased by 3%, to UAH 63.2 billion, the press release said.
Among the achievements of last year, Oschadbank singled out a decrease in the level of non-performing loans (loans overdue more than 90 days) from 49% to 24%. During the year, it was possible to restructure loans totaling UAH 16.4 billion, in cases of non-performing loans, the courts issued verdicts in favor of Oschadbank in the amount of UAH 3.9 billion, of which it managed to return UAH 2.8 billion, the financial institution said.
The message also indicates that as of the end of 2020, Oschadbank’s equity capital was UAH 22 billion, and the capital adequacy ratio was 19%, while the National Bank’s standard was 10%.
The financial institution also indicated that in 2020 it paid UAH 3.4 billion in taxes, fees and mandatory payments to the state budget.
Oschadbank was founded in 1991. Its sole owner is the state.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, as of October 1, 2020, Oschadbank ranked second (UAH 266.29 billion) among 74 banks operating in the country in terms of total assets.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has reported on the fulfillment of his election promise: this year Ukrainians will be able to get an affordable mortgage for housing at 7%.
“We promised to do everything in the program to make young Ukrainian families have a headache from just one question: what to choose – an apartment in the city or a country house,” the head of state recalled in a video message posted on his Facebook page on Friday morning. He noted that an important step has been taken this week on the way to this – the mortgage available for Ukrainians was launched at 7% per annum.
He noted that an important step has been taken this week on the way to this – the mortgage available for Ukrainians was launched at 7% per annum.
“I think this is a great victory. When someone tells you that in his time the indicators in the country were higher, he is not lying in this sense. Because two years ago the average mortgage rate in Ukraine was 21%. Now it will be seven. And already this year, Ukrainians – and, by the way, this applies not only to young families, but also to all our citizens – and so, this year they will be able to get an affordable mortgage for housing at 7%,” Zelensky said.
Ukraine has registered 5,181 new cases of COVID-19, 11,310 recoveries, and 128 deaths in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said.
“Ukraine recorded 5,181 new COVID-19 cases on January 29, 2021. In particular, the virus was contracted by 218 children and 212 medical workers. Over the past day, 1,916 persons have been hospitalized, 128 have died, and 11,310 have recovered,” Stepanov said on Facebook.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 1,211,593 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ukraine; 22,479 of them have died and 1,003,341 have recovered to date.
Foreign trade turnover by the most important positions in Jan-Oct 2020 (import).
Exports of agricultural food from Ukraine in January-November 2020 decreased 0.3% compared to the same period in 2019, to $20 billion, the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture said on Tuesday, citing data of the State Statistics Service.
“During the reporting period, Ukraine supplied agricultural food to the EU for the amount of $5.8 billion, or 28.9% of the total export of such products,” Economy Minister Ihor Petrashko said in a statement.
According to the State Statistics Service, in addition to the EU, the largest importers of Ukrainian agri-food products in January-November 2020 were China with $3.1 billion, India with $1.3 billion, Egypt with $1.3 billion and Turkey with $0.9 billion.
Over the period, cereals, oil and meat products were exported most of all. In addition, the supply of sunflower oil, barley, wheat, honey, fruits and nuts, bakery and confectionery products increased, the ministry said.
As previously reported by the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), the export of agricultural food products from Ukraine in 2019 amounted to $22.2 billion, which is 19% more than in 2018. According to its data, over the year the share of agri-food products of total exports from the country amounted to 44%.
The Verkhovna Rada on Thursday adopted bill No. 3087-d on the Bureau of Economic Security – a new central executive body, which activities are coordinated by the Cabinet of Ministers and which is tasked with counteracting economic offenses.
An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that the document was supported by 242 MPs with the required minimum of 226 votes.
In particular, 201 MPs of the ruling Servant of the People faction, 17 MPs of the Dovira group and 16 MPs of the opposition Holos faction cast their votes for the bill.
“It was a very difficult one and a half years of work. It was a very complicated bill… Thanks to those who interfered. With you, the reform has become more difficult, but richer. Although, of course, the most important thing in the creation of the Bureau of Economic Security is still ahead,” Head of the profile parliamentary committee Danylo Hetmantsev said, commenting on the adoption of the law.
The adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of this document was welcomed by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who called it “a landmark event.”
“Ukraine is taking another step towards Europe and the civilized world. The tax police are becoming a thing of the past, and a new analytical body will appear in its place, which will investigate financial and economic crimes without corruption and masked shows,” the head of government said.
The Ministry of Finance said that the adoption of the law on the creation of a financial investigation body is part of Ukraine’s international obligations, in particular, under the Stand-By Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and EU macro-financial assistance.
The ministry recalled that the document was developed with the aim of eliminating the tax police and creating an independent state law enforcement agency, which is obliged to perform the functions of analytical assessment, prevention, detection, suppression, investigation and disclosure of criminal offenses attributed by law to its jurisdiction.
The new body will unite all the units for combating economic crimes of all law enforcement agencies and will pay more attention to analytical work, which will reduce pressure on business and improve the investment climate in Ukraine.
According to the document posted on the Rada’s website, the Bureau of Economic Security should be created, and the State Fiscal Service should be liquidated within six months after the law enters into force (its publication). It was recommended that the Cabinet of Ministers take measures to form a tender panel to appoint the Director of the Bureau, create this new body and its territorial departments. An open competition for positions in the central office of the Bureau of Economic Security must be held within four months from the date of entry into force of the law.
In addition, an audit of material resources, weapons and special means of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine should be carried out and they are to be transferred to the Bureau of Economic Security.
