The continuation of the trend towards the strengthening of the hryvnia that emerged at the beginning of the year in recent weeks has been maintained by a stable supply of foreign currency against the backdrop of a favorable external environment, according to the website of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
“The situation in the foreign exchange market was shaped by the following factors: a favorable external environment for Ukrainian exports, the forthcoming payment of annual taxes to the national budget, which stimulates businesses to sell foreign currency more actively, a weak growth of imports of goods and a low repatriation of dividends in foreign currency abroad, as well as net sales of foreign currency by the population,” the report says.
At the same time, according to the NBU, the inflow of foreign capital into government securities, which has been observed since mid-January, has now slowed down and does not play a significant role in strengthening the hryvnia exchange rate, the National Bank added.
In general, the NBU notes that fluctuations in the direction of strengthening that have been observed in recent weeks is a healthy market reaction to constant changes in the economic situation: under the influence of changes in the supply and demand balance, the national currency can both strengthen and weaken. In such circumstances, short-term forecasting for the hryvnia exchange rate is difficult.
The EU is aware of the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to ban Austrian journalist Christian Wehrschutz from entering Ukraine and expects that such decisions will be taken in accordance with fundamental rights and freedoms, including the European Convention on Human Rights. The EU press secretary said in his comments, handed over to Interfax-Ukraine in Brussels on Friday.
Having informed that this fact is known in Brussels, the agency’s source noted that the EU attaches great importance to freedom of expression and the media. We expect that any of such decisions will include careful consideration of the rights to freedom of expression. We also expect the Ukrainian authorities to refrain from imposing any unnecessary restrictions on the free flow of information and freedom of the media, the agency’s source said.
At the same time, the press secretary recalled that the EU fully supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Protection of national security and citizens should be carried out in full compliance with fundamental rights and freedoms, including the European Convention on Human Rights, he stressed.
Earlier, First Deputy Head of the Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information Policy Olha Chervakova reported that the Security Service of Ukraine had prohibited head of the Ukrainian bureau of the Austrian ORF TV channel Christian Wehrschutz from entering the country because of the “threat he poses to national security.”
Ukraine in January-February 2019 increased exports of poultry by 43% compared to the same period of 2018, to 63,600 tonnes, the State Fiscal Service has reported.
At the same time, according to its data, in monetary terms exports of these products increased by 28%, to $88.2 million.
Imports of poultry in the first two months of the year increased by 5.8%, to 21,500 tonnes, in monetary terms decreased slightly to $8.6 million.
According to the service, in January-February 2019 pork exports decreased by 68.8%, to 114 tonnes. This product was delivered for $230,000, which is 3.7 times less than the figure for the same period last year.
During this period, import of pork to Ukraine increased by 4.4 times, to 4,400 tonnes, in monetary terms it amounted to $8 million, which is 5 times more than in January-February 2018.
The Swedish company IKEA, the world’s largest retailer of furniture and household goods, has to adjust its plans to enter the Ukrainian market due to the delayed construction of the Ocean Mall trade and entertainment center in Kyiv, in particular, the company is considering alternative ways for launching business in Ukraine.
“IKEA confirms its desire to change the daily life of Ukrainians for the better by offering affordable products and solutions for home. Due to the delay in construction and obtaining permits for the Ocean Mall shopping center, the company is considering alternative options that will allow it entering the Ukrainian market as soon as possible,” the company told Interfax-Ukraine.
The report says more detailed information regarding the release of IKEA in Ukraine “will be made public as soon as it becomes available.”
As reported, in September 2018, IKEA officially announced the opening of the first store in Ukraine in a city store format in 2019. The object should have been opened in Ocean Mall in Kyiv.
Ukrainian enterprises gradually have started introducing the Internet of Things (IoT) technology: today 2% of equipment suppliers use it in Ukraine, according to a study of Microsoft.
“47% did not envisage the possibility of joiningo the IoT system, and 51% of equipment suppliers do not even know about the possibilities of IoT for enterprises,” Microsoft said in a report presented at the Manufacture Talks. IoT & Other Technologies conference held in Kyiv this week.
Microsoft said that in the world, such technologies are being implemented much faster: by 2020, 40% of operational processes in enterprises can be adjusted without human participation.
“By 2019, 90% of manufacturers consider that they will make the most of cloud technologies to optimize supply processes, and by 2020 40% of operational processes in the enterprise will be able to improve and train without human participation,” Specialist in Cloud Solutions from Microsoft Vladimir Dmitrenko said.
Among other technological trends that will help enterprises develop, according to Microsoft experts, is the maximum use of cloud technologies to optimize the supply process, the mandatory connection of machines to the manufacturer’s network or the Internet, and in three or five years building digital satellite equipment or processes.
JYSK Ukraine LLC (Kyiv), developing the furniture and home goods store chain in Ukraine of the JYSK Group (Denmark), on March 7, 2019 opened six stores in Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Kherson, Odesa and Kyiv after their restyling and plans to launch the XL format store in Kyiv’s Retroville shopping and entertainment center.
“We have a standard store format of 1,000 square meters of retail space and 200 square meters of warehouse space. We also have a city format of 500 square meters. It works in other markets, but we do not bring it in Ukraine yet, since we have enough space for the development of the main format. And we have XL format of about 2,000 square meters. It allows us to expose furniture, including from the online assortment, which we cannot put in the usual format. In the Retroville shopping and entertainment center, we plan to open the XL format,” Executive Director of JYSK in Ukraine Yevhen Ivanitsa told at a press conference in Kyiv.
According to him, the company has completely updated the JYSK stores in the Ukraine Department Store shopping mall in Kyiv and the Fontan Sky center in Odesa in accordance with the new concept 3.0. The retail area of the stores will be the same: 903 square meters and 982 square meters respectively, while the interior design is completely changed.
In addition, the retailer overhauled four stores: the Poliarny shopping center (Kyiv), the Global.UA shopping center (Zhytomyr), in Sicheslavska Naberezhna Street (Dnipro), and SEC Factory (Kherson).
“We are planning to open the next store in Kamianets-Podilsky, as we continue to go to the regions. We are opening the second store in Chernihiv, a store in the Dream Town shopping center in May. It will be the 50th store in Ukraine. We also have a lease agreement with Kyiv shopping centers Retroville and Novus (on Zdolbunivska Street),” Ivanitsa said.
At the same time, he said that the share of online sales of JYSK in Ukraine, including the order online and pick up service, is more than 10%.
In general, the company intends to maintain the pace of opening stores in Ukraine and launch 12 new facilities this fiscal year, and in four fiscal years to increase the network to 100 stores.
