The position of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on negotiations with Ukraine on the resumption of funding remains the same: the Fund is awaiting the formation of a new government and wants to see priorities of its policy.
IMF Spokesperson Gerry Rice said at a press briefing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that the IMF team was ready to return to Kyiv to continue discussions after the parliamentary elections as soon as the new government is able to decide on its policy priorities.
Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of july 26
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
National bank of ukraine’s official rates as of 26/07/19
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump has congratulated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the Servant of the People Party’s confident win at the latest snap parliamentary elections, according to the Ukrainian president’s official website.
During a telephone conversation, Trump congratulated Ukraine on the successful holding of the free and democratic parliamentary elections.
“He reaffirmed the U.S. invariable support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and America’s readiness to provide full assistance with the implementation of the large-scale reform program in our country,” the statement said.
Zelensky thanked Trump for the United States’ leading role in retaining and strengthening sanctions against Russia.
The EBITDA of Ukrtelecom (Kyiv) in January-June 2019 exceeded UAH 919 million, which is 10.8% more than a year ago, the largest Ukrainian fixed-line telephony operator has said.
According to the report, for the reporting period the total income of Ukrtelecom remained stable at the level of almost UAH 3.3 billion against UAH 3.249 billion for the same period last year, in particular income from telecommunications services amounted to UAH 2.755 billion.
Ukrtelecom notes that in January-June of this year it managed to increase revenue from Internet services by 8.2%, to more than UAH 880 million by continuing to deploy optics (plus 1,400 km since the beginning of the year) and connecting territorial communities to the Internet.
The company said that in the business segment, sales of Internet services increased by 8.6%, to UAH 184 million, and among private users by 8.1%, to UAH 698 million. According to the report, today the company offers Internet services in almost 2,300 locations in Ukraine.
Ukrtelecom said in the second quarter it launched a large project on laying more than 3,500 km of fiber-optic lines to provide nearly 300 small towns and villages with optical Internet.
Compared to the first half of 2018, revenues from fixed telephony decreased in the mass segment by 6.5%, in the corporate segment by 1.6%, and in general amounted to almost UAH 1.385 billion, which corresponds to the similar trend of decreasing voice services revenues from mobile operators.
Kyiv-based insurance company Arsenal Insurance collected over UAH 1 billion in insurance premiums in January-June 2019, which was 15% up year-over-year, according to a press release issued by the insurer.
The number of contracts concluded over the period under review reached 440,000, which is 12.74% more than in the same period of 2018.
The company also reports that it has achieved the most significant results in its priority segment of car insurance. Sales of voluntary car insurance (KASKO) policies increased by 33.6%, to UAH 383.1 million. About 7,300 private car owners and 4,000 corporate clients used KASKO services. Compulsory vehicle owners’ civil liability (OSAGO) premiums increased by 7.4%, to UAH 80.5 million.
“Arsenal Insurance, a company with 100% Ukrainian capital, is among the TOP 3 insurers popular with Ukrainians. Our portfolio is quite diversified. Voluntary types of insurance (KASKO, property insurance, medical insurance for groups and other types) account for 91.4% of the total premiums, mandatory types account for 8.6%,” the press release quoted Chairman of the company’s Board Serhiy Avdeyev as saying.
The company also reports that it continues to actively develop digital insurance – an organic increase in online sales was 50%. Among the products that customers bought through the site are OSAGO, travel insurance and express insurance of property.
In the first half of 2019, Arsenal Insurance handled UAH 263.1 million in insurance claim payments. Of these, payments on KASKO policy events accounted for 71% (UAH 187.5 million); the share of payments on OSAGO policy events was 16% (UAH 41.9 million).
In addition, the company settled a number of large losses of property belonging to corporate clients, in particular, UAH 8.3 million in insurance compensation for a grain dryer destroyed in a fire at an agricultural enterprise’s site and UAH 32 million for a loss related to the theft of seeds and crop protection chemicals at a warehouse.
The company also notes that its daily insurance claim payments exceed UAH 2 million on the average. The share of reimbursements compensated by reinsurers in the first half of 2019 was 13.3%.
The company’s assets as of June 30, 2019, amounted to UAH 1.964 billion, which is 46.4% more than in the same period of 2018. The amount of cash and cash equivalents is UAH 468.3 million (18% up). Insurance reserves for the first half of the year increased by 48.3%, to over UAH 1.140 billion.
The company’s actual solvency margin is UAH 344.8 million (7.6% up) and exceeds the standard level by 28.3%.
IC Arsenal Insurance is the successor of IC Arsenal-Dnipro, operating in Ukraine since 2005. It has retail outlets in all regional centers and some major cities in the country.
Its partners are leading European reinsurers, namely HannoverRe, Polish Reinsurance Company, SCOR SE, Gen.
