The State Statistics Service reported an increase of 2.5% in Ukraine’s real gross domestic product in 2017, whereas earlier the agency estimated its growth at 2.2%.
According to the website of the service, GDP growth in 2016 was also revised upwards to 2.4% from 2.3%.
According to statistics data, the annual estimate of GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2017 was improved to 2.2% from 1.8%, quarterly to 0.5% from 0.4%, the annual estimate in the third quarter was improved to 2.4% from 2.1%, quarterly to 0.5% from 0.2%, the annual estimate in the second quarter was raised to 2.6% from 2.3%, quarterly to 0.8% from 0.6%, the annual one in the first quarter was improved to 2.8% from 2.5%, and quarterly downgraded to 0.1% from 0.3%.
Nominal GDP for the past year amounted to UAH 2.983 trillion, the deflator change stood at 22%.
Public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia tentatively saw UAH 20 million of profit in January and February 2018, the company’s press service has reported.
The press service said that revenue from transportation totaled UAH 12 billion, which is UAH 1.3 million or 12.2% more than a year ago.
In January and February 2018, freight flow grew by 1.6% of the target and passenger flow – by 5.2% year-over-year.
“The upward pace in the financial performance of Ukrzaliznytsia in the first months of 2018 was achieved thanks to well-coordinated work of the team, constructive relations with customers and government support of the industry,” acting Board Chairman of Ukrzaliznytsia Yevhen Kravtsov said.
According to the report, among other things, one of the strategic tasks for the industry is capital investments in the renewal of fixed assets. So, in the two months of 2018, at own expense, almost UAH 1.7 billion of capital investments were made, which is 2.5-fold more than in the same period of 2017. This includes more than UAH 94 million sent to the construction of the Beskydsky tunnel. Another UAH 304.2 million was allocated for modernization and UAH 156.7 million for capital repairs.
The National Commission for Communications and Informatization Regulation (NCCR) expects that the next stage of introduction of 4G communications in Ukraine will be for the 900 MHz band.
“The next priority is the 900 MHz band. We are working on it. As soon as all preparation works are completed, we will present a plan how to introduce 4G communications for this band to the sector and government. We see three spectra of 5 MHz each in duplex not occupied by military, but we require additional studies and approvals,” NCCR Chairman Oleksandr Zhyvotovsky told Interfax-Ukraine.
He said that operators need “low frequencies” in the 800-900 MHz bands to improve communication in remote areas and cover a wide area with stable signal.
Zhyvotovsky said that the situation with the 900 MHz band is significantly complicated by the fact that many different users are working there with different technologies. Refarming and amendments to Ukrainian legislation are required to create the conditions for launching 4G communications in this band.
He said that the commission is also working on a tender for the 2300 MHz band.
“We have applications from two operators for the 2300 MHz band – Giraffe and Datagroup [Krayevyd belonged to Datagroup]. At present, the applications have been sent to the Cabinet of Ministers,” Zhyvotovsky said.
He said that these companies own the frequencies in this band and seek to receive a chance of introducing 4G services there using the same scheme designed for telecom operators for the 1800 MHz band.
As for the last band announced by the commission where it is planned to introduce 4G – the 800 MHz band (the so-called “digital dividend”), Zhyvotovsky failed to name the approximate date.
He said that all questions on the launch of mobile communications for this band should be asked from the profile regulator responsible for release of these frequencies from analog television signal – the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting.
Private joint-stock company Jacobs Douwe Egberts Ukraine (Trostianets, Sumy region) saw UAH 289.7 million of net profit in 2017, which is 13.9% less than a year ago (UAH 336.6 million).
The company said in a report on holding a general meeting of shareholders on April 19, its assets slightly grew, reaching UAH 1.176 billion.
Undistributed profit fell by 10.1%, to UAH 416.6 million, and total bills receivable – by 29.1%, to UAH 371.9 million.
Current liabilities grew by 6.7%, to UH 743.5 million.
In summer 2015 Mondelez International Inc. and D.E. Master Blenders 1753 BV completed the merger of coffee businesses. Following the merger, Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE), one of the leading coffee companies in the world, was established with a head office in Amsterdam (the Netherlands).
Swiss International Airlines, part of Lufthansa Group, on March 26, 2018 will resume flights from Zurich to the Boryspil international airport (Kyiv).
The airport’s press service reported that partnership with Swiss International Airlines would allow Ukrainians to travel to Switzerland four times a week – on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
As reported, airlines of Lufthansa Group want to increase the number of flights to Kyiv in the 2018 summer navigation schedule.
Lufthansa airline would offer six additional flights a week from Frankfurt to Kyiv from March 25, 2018, and Swiss airline will return to Ukraine and will service four flights a week to Zurich from March 26, 2018.
Increasing the number of flights from Frankfurt from 14 to 20 a week, Lufthansa will service additional six flights a week every day, apart from Saturday using Airbus 320 planes with economy and business class seats.
Swiss International Airlines will service four flights a week using A320 planes with business and economy class seats on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Lufthansa Group started flying to Ukraine in April 1991.
