Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has begun a working visit to Japan; he will attend the ceremony of the new Japanese emperor’s enthronization amongst other events, the Office of the Ukrainian President said in a statement on Facebook. “The visit program includes the chief of states’ meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, heads of both chambers of the Japanese parliament, members of the Japan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association, heads of the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Japan Association of New Economy, and representatives of the Japanese business community,” the statement said.
The work schedule of the Ukrainian president also includes a series of bilateral meetings with foreign leaders, it said.
Metinvest has completed a deal on the repurchase of $440 million eurobonds with a maturity in 2023 out of a total issue of $944.515 million through the placement of two new issues of eurobonds: $500 million due in 2029 and EUR 300 million due in 2025. The group’s debut two-currency offer, consisting of tranches denominated in U.S. dollars and euros, helped to effectively extend the maturity of $440 million 2023 eurobonds out of the amount of $944.515 million by six and a half years, while the net proceeds from the transaction amounted to approximately $350 million, the company said last week.
According to the Irish Stock Exchange, the new securities (in U.S. dollars with a coupon of 7.75% per annum and in euros with a coupon of 5.625% per annum) were admitted to circulation on October 17.
Metinvest said on the stock exchange that the total applications for the repurchase of eurobonds 2023, which were also issued with a coupon of 7.75%, amounted to $639.886 million.
As reported, the company held meetings with investors in the United States, the United Kingdom and continental Europe from September 18 to 27. The purpose of the offer is proactive management of debt repayment, extension of debt repayment terms and reduction of refinancing risks, Metinvest said.
Ukraine since the beginning of the new 2019/2020 marketing year (MY, July-June) and as of October 18, 2019 had exported 16.106 million tonnes of grain and legumes, which is 40.8% more than on the same date of the previous MY.
According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, to date, Ukraine exported 10.06 million tonnes of wheat, 3.05 million tonnes of barley, and 2.76 million tonnes of corn.
As of October 11 this year, some 99,000 tonnes of flour had been also exported.
As reported, with reference to the ministry, in the 2018/2019 MY Ukraine exported a record 50.4 million tonnes of grain, legumes and flour, which is 23% more than in the previous MY.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in September raised its forecast for grain exports for the 2019/2020 MY by 400,000 tonnes compared with the August forecast, to 54.44 million tonnes.
The British fund Duet Private Equity Ltd, part of Duet Group, claims to buy the Ocean Plaza trade and entertainment center in Kyiv.
“A new bidder, the British fund Duet Private Equity Ltd [part of Duet Group], appeared for the purchase of the Ocean Plaza mall controlled by TPS Real Estate,” the Kommersant edition said.
At the same time, Duet Private Equity and TPS Real Estate did not respond to requests from the publication. According to the edition, “the final clarity regarding the transaction will appear in three to four months.”
Duet Group was founded in 2002. Its portfolio includes projects worth more than $5.5 billion. In April 2019, Duet Private Equity acquired Gas Natural Fenosa, which manages most of Moldova’s energy networks, from the Spanish company Naturgy.
As reported, Lybid Investment Union LLC (Kyiv), which is the formal owner of the Ocean Plaza shopping center, in September 2019 amended the list of beneficial owners in the unified state register of legal entities and individuals.
According to the register, as of October 16, 2019, instead of the daughter of Russian businessman Arkady Rotenberg, Liliya, as well as Swiss citizens Andrea and Suzanne Vallabh, the ultimate beneficiary of Lybid became Ocean Plaza Project.
According to the register, Liliya Rotenberg also ceased to be listed as the founder of Avangard-Vilarti LLC (the owner of 100% of the charter capital of Lybid) in September.
The harvest of grain and leguminous crops in Ukraine in 2019, according to preliminary data from the regions, could reach 71.8 million tonnes, which is 1.7 million tonnes more than in 2018, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food has reported. According to the agency, wheat production may increase by 3.5 million tonnes, to 28.1 million tonnes, the yield of barley by 1.6 million tonnes, to 8.9 million tonnes, oats by 26,000 tonnes, to 444,000 tonnes, millet by 84,000 tonnes, to 165,000 tonnes.
At the same time, the ministry expects the reduction in the harvest of corn by 3 million tonnes, to 32.8 million tonnes, peas by 203,000 tonnes, to 572,000 tonnes, rye by 60,000 tonnes, to 333,000 tonnes, buckwheat by 52,000 tonnes, to 85,000 tonnes, rice by 6,000 tonnes, to 63,000 tonnes.
In addition, the forecast for rapeseeds in 2019 was raised by 472,000 tonnes, to 3.2 million tonnes, for sunflower seeds decreased by 589,000 tonnes, to 13.6 million tonnes, soybeans by 827,000 tonnes, to 3.6 million tonnes.
The Ministry of Agriculture expects that 9.8 million tonnes of sugar beets will be harvested, which is 4.2 million tonnes less than in 2018.
The forecast for potato was reduced by 2.2 million tonnes, to 20.3 million tonnes, vegetables by 575,000 tonnes, to 8.9 million tonnes.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has registered in the parliament bill No.2285 on the regulation of organization of gambling games in the country. Though, there has been no text of the bill on the parliament’s website so far.
According to the government’s report on its website, the bill suggests restriction of a number of the licenses for the game establishments, sets a demand to place the halls with slot machines exclusively in the territory of 3-5-star hotels, casinos in the territory of five-star hotels.
In addition, the bill proposes to establish mandatory verification of players when accepting bets and registration of winnings in the online monitoring system, which should be administered by the tax service.
At the same time, the government proposes to strengthen financial and criminal liability for the gambling activities without licenses, as well as to establish the target direction of payments for the licenses in this area for the development of sports, medicine and culture.
“Legalization of the gambling business will also allow the budget to receive up to UAH 5 billion, however, the final figures for the budget revenues will depend on in which edition the deputies will adopt the law,” reads the report posted on the website.
