The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has proposed to introduce e-voting for Ukrainian voters abroad, and diplomats jointly with other institutions are studying Estonia’s experience in this sphere, State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine Andriy Zayats has said. “After the presidential election in 2019, we immediately turned to the Cabinet of Ministers with the proposal to introduce electronic voting, at least in the constituency abroad. The prime minister of Ukraine gave the relevant instructions to the Ministry of Justice and the State Agency for E-Governance, which are now working with us and colleagues from the Central Election Commission,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
At the same time, Zayats said that they have not yet started discussing technologies.
According to him, electronic voting will significantly increase the number of those who can vote, reduce the costs of organizing voting, facilitate logistics and significantly relieve foreign institutions in Ukraine.
“We understand that there is a risk of interference, and the level of protection of personal data should be very thoughtful. On the one hand, the voter must clearly identify himself, but at the same time exercise his right to vote secretly,” the diplomat added.
The top ten largest retail chains increased tax payment by UAH 1.2 billion in January-June 2019 or by 29% year-over-year, to UAH 5.4 billion, the Office of Large Taxpayers reported on its website on Tuesday.
According to the report, the largest amount of tax was paid by the ATB network – 57.4% of the total tax paid by the top ten largest retail chains, while its share compared to the previous year did not change significantly (57% in the first half of 2018).
Fozzy Group supermarket chain reduced its share of tax payments of the total amount paid by of the top ten largest retail chains to 12.6% compared with 11.4% in January-June 2018, Metro C&C (Metro Cash & Carry Ukraine LLC, Kyiv) – 8.3% compared with 10.8%, EKO Market supermarkets chain (EKO LLC) – 1.3% compared with 1.5%, Velyka Kishenya (Fudkom LLC, Retail Group, Kyiv) – 1.2% compared with 1.8%, Billa supermarkets (FDI Billa-Ukraine, Rewe Group, Germany) – 0.9% compared with 1.7%.
An increase in the share of tax payments was recorded with Auchan (Auchan Holding, France) – 7.3% from 5.6%, Novus (BT Invest) – 5.2% from 5%, and Fora (Fozzy Group) – 3.6% from 3%.
Varus supermarkets (Omega LLC) have not changed their indicator compared to the first half of 2018 – 2.2% of all taxes paid by the top ten retailers.
The Office of the Largest Taxpayers serves 23 food chains, which in the first half of this year increased tax payments more than 20%, to UAH 10.3 billion compared to UAH 8.5 billion in January-June 2018.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) under the procedural direction of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) have detained Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) of Ukraine Yuriy Hrymchak and his assistant for soliciting a $1.1 million bribe.
As reported on Wednesday on the NABU Facebook page, the deputy minister and his assistant were exposed and detained on suspicion of committing a crime under Part 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (fraud committed in respect of an especially gross amount, or by an organized group).
“The indicated persons, allegedly for exerting influence on decision-making by persons authorized to fulfill the functions of the state, demanded unlawful benefit from the representative of a legal entity in the total amount of $ 1.1 million,” the NABU reported.
According to the bureau, the official and his assistant were caught red-handed while receiving part of the funds in the amount of $480,000.
The SBU press center on a Facebook page said that the criminal proceedings are being investigated by a joint investigation team consisting of representatives of the NABU, SBU and prosecutors of the process management department of the procedural management department in criminal proceedings on crimes of a special category of the PGO.
Earlier that day, the SBU press service reported that Hrymchak’s home was being raided.
Ukraine exported 3.8 million tonnes of sunflower oil worth $2.6 billion, which is 16% higher than the same period in 2018, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food said. Supplies of soybean oil increased by 81% over this period, to 238,000 tonnes, the ministry said in a press releaes.
“Now farmers haven’t started harvesting sunflower seeds and soybeans yet, but the forecasts are rather optimistic. A reduction in areas under these crops by 4.4% in the case of sunflower seeds and 8% in soybeans was balanced by favorable weather conditions,” the ministry said.
As reported, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts growth in vegetable oil exports from Ukraine by 250,000 tonnes, to 6.3 million tonnes at the expense of sunflower oil in the 2019/20 marketing year (MY, September-August) whose share in total oil exports may reach 5.85 million tonnes (data for August 2019).
On Friday, August 16, at 11.00 the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference “Corruption Scandal in Uman: Will Netanyahu’s Visit Help Bring to Reason Bribe Takers” with the participation of the founder and head of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce (New York) Duvi Honig (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration of journalists requires press accreditation. Additional information by phone: +38 067 862 5997.
CORRUPTION SCANDAL, NETANYAHU'S, PRESS CONFERENCE, UMAN, VISIT
Ukraine exported 5.602 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops from July 1, 2019, when the new 2019/2020 marketing year started, to August 15, 2019. Some 1.65 million tonnes of maize, 2.53 million tonnes of wheat, 1.42 million tonnes of barley were exported over the period, the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food said. Over the same period of the pervious marketing year, Ukraine exported 3.961 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops.
As of August 15, 2019, farmers shipped 34,100 tonnes of flour abroad.
As reported with reference to the Ministry of Agriculture, Ukraine exported a record 50.4 million tonnes of grain, legumes and flour during the 2018/2019 marketing year, which was 23% more than in the previous MY.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in August reviewed upwards its forecast for grain exports by 2.65 million tonnes compared with the July forecast, to 54.04 million tonnes.
