The number of company defaults in January-February this year in the world reached 29 – the maximum since 2009, according to S&P Global.
Including in the U.S. the number of corporate defaults amounted to 17, in Europe – eight.
The global average for the same period in 2010-2023 slightly exceeds 16.
S&P attributes the rise in defaults to weak consumer demand, rising wages amid labor shortages and high interest rates.
In Ukraine started registration for the national multi-subject test (NMT) in 2024.
“From today begins registration for participation in the national multi-subject test (NMT). It will last until April 11 inclusive. This year the Ukrainian Center for Education Quality Assessment conducts registration in paperless form,” – stated in the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science.
It is noted that with the help of a special service enrollees need to independently create a personal account and perform a number of actions in it.
In particular, it is necessary to: specify registration data (contact information, category “graduate of the current year” or “graduate of previous years”, to indicate the need for special (special) conditions, to choose from the proposed list of subjects to choose from and the locality in Ukraine or abroad, where it is planned to take NMT, as well as the language of passing subjects of certification work); download scans or photocopies of registration documents; send the entered information and copies of documents for processing in the regional center for quality assessment
As reported, the NMT in 2024 will include three compulsory subjects (Ukrainian language, mathematics and history of Ukraine of 16-21 centuries) and one subject of the applicant’s choice (foreign language (English, German, French, Spanish), biology, physics and chemistry, Ukrainian literature and geography). Testing will take place during the main (May 14-June 25) and additional sessions (July 11-19).
State-owned Oschadbank (Kyiv) has put up for sale the Atmosfera shopping mall and Ramada Encore Kyiv hotel in the capital, 11 land plots in Kozyn (Kyiv region) and the right of claim to Niteko LLC for UAH 1.79 billion through the OpenMarket electronic trading system (SE SETAM of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine).
According to SETAM’s press service, the lot includes real estate in Kyiv at 103 Stolichne Shosse (buildings 1-4). They include an administrative and hotel center with an area of 39.5 thousand square meters, a shopping and entertainment center (31.6 thousand square meters) with a parking lot (16.8 thousand square meters), a two-level parking lot (17.5 thousand square meters) and other premises.
In addition, the lot also includes 11 land plots in Kozyn with a total area of 17.3 hectares for residential construction, as well as the rights to claim against LLC “Company Niteko” under the 2007 non-revolving credit line agreement, including the assignment of rights under security agreements.
“The well-known Kyiv shopping center and hotel are located at the intersection of three major highways towards the elite villages of Obukhiv district and Koncha Zaspa, so they are well served by traffic. This offer may potentially be of interest to major market players,” the press service quoted Oleksandr Mamro, CEO of SETAM, as saying.
The auction is scheduled for March 25. The guarantee fee is UAH 89.9 million.
According to Opendatabot, the owner of Niteko is FC NGI Management LLC, and the ultimate beneficiary is Dmytro Buriak. At the end of 2023, the company reduced its net loss by 4.9 times compared to 2022 – to UAH 70.2 million, while net income increased by 69% to UAH 146.2 million.
As reported, Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG) opened its largest four-star hotel under the Ramada Encore brand in June 2012 as part of the Stolychnyi mixed-use complex (formerly Domosfera) at 103 Stolychne Shosse in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv.
The 22-storey hotel has 332 rooms and 58 apartments. The hotel’s infrastructure includes a conference center with a total area of more than 4 thousand square meters with 20 meeting rooms, a two-level parking lot for 1150 cars, two fitness centers, restaurants, a sushi bar and a summer terrace. The hotel is managed by DBI Hotels & Resorts (Switzerland).
The Atmosfera shopping and entertainment center (SEC) in Stolychny was opened on April 12, 2014. The mall has about 50 premium shops and boutiques, a food court, an entertainment area, a karting center, a fitness center, a cinema with restaurant service and an event hall with 800 seats.
The developer of the Stolychnyi mixed-use project is DeVision Group. The mixed-use complex also includes Domosfera shopping center with a leasable area of 30.7 thousand square meters, opened on May 16, 2009, and Europe business center of B+ class with a total area of 22 thousand square meters and parking for 300 cars. The total area of the mixed-use complex is 158.2 thousand square meters.
The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine has announced that its order approving new rules for the registration of patent attorneys and their activities came into force on March 11.
“This year, after approval of the composition of the Attestation Commission of the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations (Ukr. which performs the functions of the National Intellectual Property Authority, the consideration of applications of citizens who have expressed their intention to acquire the right to practice as patent attorneys and their certification will finally be resumed,” Deputy Minister Vitaliy Kindrativ said in a release from the Ministry of Economy.
The Ukrainian register of patent attorneys currently includes 514 people without specifying whether they are currently engaged in this activity. The latest registrations are dated January 2017.
The Ministry of Economy clarified that the order approved four documents in total. These are, in particular, the Regulation on Patent Attorneys, which defines who patent attorneys are, how they act, their rights and obligations, the Regulation on the Attestation and Appeal Commission, which regulates the consideration of applications and complaints during the attestation of patent attorneys, and the Regulation on the State Register of Patent Attorneys, which defines the procedure for updating information on all registered patent attorneys in Ukraine and the possibility of obtaining free access to it in electronic form,
“The certification of new patent attorneys will increase the number of certified intellectual property professionals in Ukraine who provide services in this area and will be able to represent the interests of national innovators and foreign investors,” the Ministry of Economy concluded.
The State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” is starting to sell surplus firewood for industrial use to domestic and foreign buyers and is ready to provide additional services to non-residents, the press service of the state company reported on Facebook.
“The State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” is starting to hold the first auctions with additional services for non-resident companies. In particular, we offer delivery from the warehouse and loading of products into railway cars, as well as customs clearance of products,” the statement said.
According to the report, as the heating season approaches its end, state forestry enterprises have accumulated surplus fuel wood, most of which is industrial firewood. Currently, only industrial pine firewood is up for auction.
Since last year, the selling price of such firewood has fallen from UAH 1,350 per cubic meter to UAH 950 per cubic meter. The products were sold at the main and then at additional auctions. However, even with a one-third reduction in price, the Ukrainian market is not ready to consume all the resources put up for auction.
At the same time, the Forests of Ukraine noted that the volume of wood is sufficient to satisfy both Ukrainian processors and non-resident buyers.
As reported, in 2023, the volume of logging in Ukraine amounted to 15.7 million cubic meters of wood of all types of felling, 13.1 million cubic meters of which were harvested by state forestries.
Dynamics of reserves of Ukraine from 2012 to 2023
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
