Ukraine’s parliament has adopted draft law No. 1071 on amending certain laws of Ukraine involving the development of activities in space and attracting investments to Ukraine’s space sector. The bill will allow private companies to engage in activities in space, including launching rockets into space. Some 308 members of parliament supported the adoption of the bill in its second reading and as a whole, including its technical and legal amendments, at a plenary session on Friday.
According to the explanatory note to the bill, the text of which was published on parliament’s website, the bill will ensure the creation of a competitive environment for the development of private property enterprises along with the public sector of the space industry, and will also help attract investment in Ukraine’s space industry.
According to the text of the document, the basic principles of space activities in Ukraine are: state support for the commercialization of space activities and attracting investments in Ukraine’s space industry, opening outer space for citizens and legal entities and the ability to freely explore and use outer space, including the use of outer space and the resources contained therein, with restrictions only when necessary to ensure compliance with national security interests.
The importance of promoting international cooperation, maintaining and developing existing international relations in the space industry, taking into account national interests, is also emphasized in the bill.
Under the new law, companies will not be required to apply for licenses to work in the space sector.
Currently, only state-owned companies can carry out activities related to testing, production and operation of space launch vehicles in Ukraine.
The growth of Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) in April-June 2019 amounted to 4.6% compared to the same period in 2018, while in the first quarter the growth rate was lower and stood at 2.5%, according to preliminary data from the State Statistics Service, which confirmed its operational assessment dated mid-August this year. Fitch has said that after a strong Q2 2019 (4.6% year-over-year), Fitch projects 3.4% growth in 2019, reflecting strong domestic demand and exports driven by the agriculture sector (wheat harvest).
The deficit of Ukraine’s foreign trade in goods in January-July 2019 increased by 18.5% compared with January-July 2018, to $4.936 billion, the State Statistics Service has reported.
Actual inflation in August 2019 in Ukraine has approached the forecast of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) published in the inflation reform for July 2019, the regulator has reported on its website.
Consumer prices in Ukraine after falling in July 2019 by 0.6% in August fell by another 0.3%, and in annual terms inflation in August fell to 9% from 9.1% in July, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine has said.
The national budget of Ukraine in January-August 2019 posted a surplus of UAH 2.38 billion with the deficit of the general fund being UAH 4.12 billion, according to data on the website of the State Treasury Service.
Revenue of the national budget in August 2019 totaled UAH 87.6 billion, which is 6.9% less than in August 2019, and the outturn is 91%, according to data from the State Treasury Service of Ukraine.
Solvent Ukrainian banks in January-August 2019 received UAH 44.29 billion in net profit, which is 3.2 times more than in the same period in 2018, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has said.
The consolidated profit of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) through January-June 2019 totaled UAH 6.4 billion, while its loss for the similar period of 2018 totaled UAH 1.1 billion, according to the first such kind of interim report posted by the central bank.
Ukraine’s international reserves in August 2019, according to preliminary data, rose by 0.8%, to $22.015 billion.
Industrial products (goods, services) worth UAH 1.485 trillion were sold in Ukraine in January-July 2019, which is 5.2% more than in January-July 2018 (UAH 1.411 trillion), in particular abroad for UAH 406.371 billion, the State Statistics Service has said.
Industrial prices in Ukraine in August 2019 decreased 0.7% after rising in July by 3.6% and falling by 2.7% in June, the State Statistics Service has said.
Sugar production in Ukraine as of September 24, 2019 amounted to 121,500 tonnes.
The transport enterprises of Ukraine in January-August 2019 increased freight transportation by 8.1% compared to the same period of 2018, to 442.9 million tonnes, the country’s State Statistics Service has said. The transport companies of Ukraine in January-August 2019 carried 2.808 billion people, which was 5.9% down year-over-year (y-o-y), the country’s State Statistics Service has reported.
The volume of construction work in Ukraine in August 2019 increased by 8.9% compared to August 2018, while in July 2019 from July 2018 this figure rose by 14.5%.
Retail trade in Ukraine in January-August 2019 increased by 9.9% in comparable prices compared with January-August 2018.
National bank of Ukraine’s official rates as of 03/10/19
Top-20 countries with which Ukraine has most positive trade balance in goods in Jan-July 2019 (thsd.USD)
Glovo international delivery service started its operations in Kherson, a company’s press service reported.
“Since October 1, residents of the city can use Glovo delivery services. This is the eleventh city on the Ukrainian map, where the Spanish service will operate delivering whatever you want within the city limits,” the report said.
Glovo couriers deliver almost everything that fits the size of a backpack up to nine kilograms. The cost of the Courier service is fixed and totals UAH 69.
Glovo (Spain) international delivery service started operation in Kyiv in October 2018.
Mykolaiv is the eighth Ukrainian city to welcome Glovo. The service has been already launched in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhia, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Kherson.