Ukrainian gas transmission system (GTS) operator JSC Ukrtransgaz (UTG) has addressed the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB) with a request to revise current modernization loan agreements for Ukraine’s section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline. UTG said in its press release that one of the reasons for which it is unable to implement the loan program was the operator’s failure to meet the financial stability requirements outlined in the loan agreements with the EBRD and EIB (due to tariffs for its services which have been set too low since the end of last year).
The company added that reliability and effectiveness of the Ukrainian section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline could be improved with a significantly smaller amount of assets (than it is envisaged in the loan agreements).
“For this reason the company is asking the EBRD to reduce the amount of its loan as long as a EUR 125 million investment (instead of EUR 300 million) is sufficient for the achievement of its primary goals,” reads the statement.
UTG also asked the financial institutions to hold consultations with the Ukrainian government in order to determine the extent of liability on the loan agreements for UTG and a new GTS operator as well as the mechanism for use of funds and loan servicing after the completion of the unbundling process in Ukraine.
As reported, UTG signed a EUR 300 million loan agreement with the EBRD and EIB (EUR 150 million from each) for the modernization of Ukraine’s section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline. Ukrtransgaz will also invest EUR 166 million of its own funds in the project.
Ukrtransgaz, a 100% subsidiary of Naftogaz Ukrainy, operates Ukraine’s system of trunk gas pipelines and 12 underground gas storage facilities.
GAS PIPELINE, LOAN, MODERNIZATION, REVISE, UKRTRANSGAZ, URENGOY-POMARY-UZHGOROD
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) only purchased foreign currency on the interbank foreign exchange market during the period from June 18 until June 21, 2019 and replenished its forex reserves by $40.5 million as compared with $135.1 million last week. Some $40.5 million was acquired at the best purchase and sale price (using the matching tool), the NBU said on its website.
In total, since the beginning of this year, the NBU has bought $1.595 billion on the interbank market, including $278.3 million in June, and sold $231.43 million there (the central bank did not sell foreign currency in June).
Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of june 21
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
National bank of ukraine’s official rates as of 24/06/19
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has signed a Memorandum with the French company “Veolia Central & Eastern Europe S.A.” on cooperation in the field of solid waste management, the press service of the Kyiv city state administration has reported. “Kyiv is committed to working with reputable international companies with successful experience in implementing projects in the field of waste management. The Veolia Group is one of the world leaders in developing solutions for managing water supply systems, waste and energy. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that today we are signing a Memorandum of Cooperation with the French company Veolia Central & Eastern Europe S.A.,” Klitschko said.
The mayor of Kyiv noted that the capital has clear plans for a gradual departure from the technology of dumping garbage – both from an outdated and environmentally dangerous methodology.
In July, the city authorities intend to launch pilot projects on the separate collection of municipal solid waste in the capital.
“We plan to install up to 3,000 containers for individual fractions – plastic and glass. We met with the carriers of garbage and offered them to develop and implement a pilot project of separate collection in the territories where they work. It is very important that these are different models proposed by enterprises and we will determine the most effective ones,” he added.
The plans of the mayor include developing utility-type waste sorting, transferring of recycled materials for recycling, and also he plans to create a garbage processing complex with equipment for efficient processing of organic and other fractions.
“We plan to build a waste recycling complex, which will have a total processing capacity of 700,000 tonnes per year and will include a sorting stage. We plan to place this waste recycling plant next to the Energia plant, which will be made ecologically safe,” Klitschko said.
The Veolia company expressed hope that cooperation with Kyiv would be effective.
COOPERATION, KLITSCHKO, MANAGEMENT, MEMO, SOLID WASTE, VEOLIA COMPANY
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said about his vision of how to make Ukraine the really rich country and called on business to invest money, time and ideas in Ukraine.
“We are carefully studying the experience of countries that are successful. We understand that they, first of all, invested in education, technology and infrastructure. Ukraine will do the same. Therefore, the role of the state in the economy in the next five years will be reduced to three things: do not interfere business; to build an excellent infrastructure for business and create conditions for doing business in Ukraine was simply convenient; third, focus on education, science and technology,” he said at a meeting with the business community in Kyiv.
Zelensky said that he was not used to catching up, therefore he is looking for creative breakthrough and innovative solutions for Ukraine with his team, and will tell more about them in the near future.
The president said that “to turn from a poor country into a middle-income country is not so difficult.” “The recipes are simple, success stories are known. All these is a mandatory program for us, and we will do it in the next five years,” he said.
At the same time, Zelensky is convinced that Ukraine needs to become a “truly rich country.”
“According to the World Bank, in 1960 there were 101 countries that are developing, and only 13 of them were able to become developed rich countries. In addition, most of them did it at the expense of natural resources. Economists have a special term: “middle income trap.” Its essence is very simple: poor countries compete with cheap labor. As soon as a country receives an average level of income, competitive advantages disappear and the country ceases to develop rapidly. According to this scenario, the country almost never becomes rich, the highest level is “medium,” he explained.
“Half a year ago I decided to invest the most precious thing I have – my time – in Ukraine. I urge you to do the same: invest time, money, ideas in Ukraine. Let’s change Ukraine together!” Zelensky said, addressing business at the end of his speech.
BUSINESS, EDUCATION, INVEST, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES, ZELENSKY
