State-owned JSC Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) has transferred UAH 1.259 billion to the state budget of Ukraine as an advance payment of dividends based on the results of its business activities in 2023, the press service of UZ reported on Wednesday.
“This is the first advance payment, because we are still finalizing the consolidated report, which will clearly determine our profit based on the results of work in 2023,” said Yevhen Lyashchenko, Chairman of the Board of UZ.
It is noted that, according to the government’s decree, the rate of deductions for Ukrzaliznytsia is set at 50%, provided that 30% of the profit will be used to finance capital investments approved in the financial plan for 2024, as well as to reconstruct critical railway infrastructure and renew rolling stock.
As reported, on February 27, the government instructed Naftogaz of Ukraine, Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukrhydroenergo, Ukrainian Energy Machines, Nizhnednistrovska HPP, and Ukrainian Defense Industry to transfer to the state budget at least 50% of the annual dividends on the state share for 2023 in advance by March. According to the Ministry of Finance, this will allow the state budget to receive at least UAH 3 billion in February.
Kremenchuk Metalware Plant (Poltava region) increased its net profit by 4.66 times in 2023 compared to 2022, to UAH 1 million 324,366 thousand from UAH 284 thousand.
According to the information for the company’s annual general meeting of shareholders scheduled for March 22 this year, which will be held remotely, the meeting will complete voting on April 1, 2024.
At the same time, the shareholders intend to summarize the results of 2023 and leave the profit undistributed.
It is also planned to approve the new version of the charter, approve the decision of the Supervisory Board to appoint the external auditor of AF “Intellect Capital” LLC for 2023.
The meeting intends to hold elections of members of the supervisory board.
As reported, in 2022, Kremenchuk Metalware Plant reduced its net profit by 51.5% year-on-year to UAH 284 thousand.
Kremenchuk Metal Products Plant was established in 1994 on the basis of the state-owned Kremenchuk Plant of Special Metal Structures and Communication Products through its corporatization. In 2008, Kryukiv Carriage Works (KVSZ) acquired Kremenchuk Metal Products Plant.
According to the NDU for the third quarter of 2023, AS Skinest Finants (Estonia), which is a shareholder of KVSZ, owns 75% of JSC Kremenchuk Metal Products Plant.
The authorized capital of the JSC is UAH 1067.2 thousand, the par value of the share is UAH 0.05.
The indicator of business confidence in industry in Ukraine in February 2024 increased by 2 p.p. compared to January 2023 – up to “minus” 9%, while in the processing industry it increased by 3.6 p.p. – To “minus” 8.3%, reported the State Statistics Service.
In turn, the indicator of business climate in industry increased by 0.2 p.p., to +0.2%. – to +0.2%, while in the processing industry increased by 0.4 p.p. to 0.4%. – to 0.4%.
As reported, expectations for business activity prospects in 2023 began to deteriorate in May, when the business confidence indicator stood at “minus” 6.8% and “minus” 5% in industry and processing, respectively, and continued to decline during June-December, amounting to “minus” 13.5% and “minus” 15.6% in December, respectively.
However, in January this year, this indicator increased by 2.6 pp y-o-y to “minus” 11% in December-2023, while in the processing industry it increased by 3.9 pp y-o-y to “minus” 11.8%. – To “minus” 11.8%.
At the same time, the indicator of business climate in industry and processing industry in January, as well as in December-2023 remained at the zero level.
The components for calculations of these indicators have seasonally adjusted values of balances formed on the basis of reports submitted by enterprises. In particular, the assessment of the current volume of orders for production (demand) in industry in February amounted to “minus” 42% (in January – “minus” 44%), in processing industry – “minus” 45% (against “minus” 47%).
In turn, February expectations for output in the next three months improved significantly – in industry they rose to +5% from zero in January-2023, in processing – to +11% from “minus” 1%.
As reported, the best value in 2023 was reached in April-2023 at +10% in manufacturing and +17% in processing.
The estimate of current finished goods inventories in February was “minus” 10% and “minus” 9%, respectively (“minus” 11% and “minus” 12% in January); the estimate of output for the previous three months was “minus” 1% and +1% (“minus” 6% and “minus” 3% in January).
At the same time, the assessment of the current volume of export demand in industry worsened by 2 p.p. to “minus” 31%, and in processing industry remained at the level of “minus” 38%.
According to the statistical agency, the supply of orders of enterprises, still, on average, for four months.
As detailed by the State Statistics Committee, based on the results of the survey of industrial enterprises in February, the growth of selling prices for products in the next three months (February-April) is expected by 31% of surveyed industrial enterprises compared to 33% in January, while the decrease – still 2%; in the processing industry, respectively, 35% and 2%.
At the same time, 25% of industrial enterprises expect in February-April 2024 a decrease in the volume of manufactured products (20% in January), and 20%, as a month earlier, expect growth.
In the processing industry, 28% of respondents expect production growth (8 p.p. more), while 17% of respondents expect a decrease (20% in January).
In the next three months, 17% of the surveyed industrial enterprises expect a decrease in the number of employees, 7% – growth, whereas in January this indicator amounted to 16% and 6%, respectively.
For the previous three months (November 2023-January 2024), 23% of the industrial enterprises noted an increase in production volumes, while a decrease – 31% (in January, respectively, 28% and 29%), and the current volume of production orders (demand) above normal was noted by only 1%, while 39% – below normal and 60% – normal for the season.
The main factor restraining the production is still insufficient demand – its growth in November-January was noted by 19% of industrial enterprises (in processing – 18%), while the decrease was noted by 30% and 32%, respectively.
Initial registrations of new passenger cars in Ukraine in January-February increased by 1.5 times compared to the same period in 2023 to more than 10 thousand units, the Ukravtoprom Association reported on its Telegram channel.
According to the report, almost 5.7 thousand new passenger cars were sold in February, which is 51% more than in the same month in 2023 and 29.5% more than in January this year.
“The sales of new cars are only 11% behind the February figure of pre-war 2021,” Ukravtoprom states.
Toyota showed the best result of the month with a 70% increase by February 2023 – up to 858 cars. Renault was the second with 706 units (+64%), and Volkswagen was in third place with 472 units (+53%).
The TOP-5 of the month also included Skoda – 452 units (+38%) and Peugeot – 348 units (+364%).
Renault Duster crossover remains the bestseller in the Ukrainian new car market, with 603 registrations in February.
According to the Association, in February last year, a little more than 3.7 thousand new passenger cars were sold in Ukraine, which is 30% less than in February 2022.
For its part, the AUTO-Consulting information and analytical group in a post on its website calls the February car market’s performance “powerful”: almost 6 thousand passenger cars were sold, which is 58% more than in February last year and 24% more than in January 2014.
According to analysts, Toyota is in the lead, with 15% of all buyers preferring it (906 cars). Renault is in second place (664 cars), which managed to slightly overtake VW, which took second place in January and sold 548 cars in February.
Skoda finished fourth (503 cars), and Peugeot took fifth place (from 10th in January 2024), having doubled its sales compared to January (336 cars).
Analysts say that the premium segment is no longer growing as it was last year, and that BMW, Audi, and Lexus are leading the way.
“Electric cars confidently held 20% of the Ukrainian market in February, and it seems that this is now a new milestone that they will continue to hold for some time,” the report says.
In addition, AUTO-Consulting notes a drop in the interest of Ukrainian buyers in various Chinese unknown “trains”.
As reported with reference to the data of the Ukravtoprom Association, in 2023, the primary registrations of new passenger cars in Ukraine increased by 60.6% compared to 2022 – to almost 61 thousand units, according to AUTO-Consulting, sales increased by 62.4%, exceeding 65 thousand units.
In the first half of 2024, the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU) will conduct scheduled monitoring of 63 contracted healthcare facilities.
According to the agency on its website, the list of medical institutions to be monitored was determined based on the results of calculating a system of indicators that can confirm or refute the existence of risks in the work of clinics.
The monitoring will be conducted in medical facilities contracted under the packages “Medical Care for Acute Cerebral Stroke”, “Medical Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction”, “Medical Care during Childbirth”, and “Medical Care for Newborns in Complicated Neonatal Cases”.
In particular, the monitoring will be conducted in 16 clinics contracted for the acute cerebral stroke package, 11 clinics contracted for the acute myocardial infarction package, 28 medical institutions contracted for the maternity care package, and eight clinics contracted for the neonatal care package.
In addition, the NHSU informs that the list of medical institutions to be monitored will be supplemented by institutions that have a rehabilitation contract.
The EBRD is lending €2.5 million to Kyiv Medical University (KMU), a private educational institution that provides higher medical, dental and pharmaceutical education to 3,400 students in Ukraine and Poland. The loan will be used to prepare a new campus, which was needed due to the partial relocation of CMU students to Poland after the Russian invasion in 2022.
The project envisages launching new courses and increasing the number of students by 35%. The campus in Poland should also increase CMU’s revenue by 38% this academic year and create more than 200 jobs for doctors and teachers. With the number of foreign students and revenues of medical schools in Ukraine sharply reduced due to the Russian invasion, this will help the CMU ensure reliable provision of educational services until the end of the war.
Supporting the private sector and lending to small and medium-sized businesses is a strategic priority for the EBRD as the largest institutional investor in Ukraine. The history of cooperation with the EBRD began for the CMU in 2018, when the Bank provided a €1.3 million loan to the university to purchase a campus in Kyiv. This loan was fully repaid in April 2023.
Now, CMU, which has acquired two buildings in Katowice and Chorzów for its Ukrainian and international students, plans to repeat the project of launching a new campus, but in another country. To do this, it will be necessary to renovate the acquired buildings and purchase new equipment.
The total cost of the project is €4.1 million, which means that the CMU will cover part of the costs from its own funds.
After the opening of the new campus in Poland, CMU will be able to accommodate more than 2000 Ukrainian and international students, as well as launch new study programs, including physical rehabilitation, clinical psychology, and nursing.
The expansion is a testament to the resilience of Ukrainian business. The opening of the new campus will allow the CMU not only to ensure the safety of students and teachers, but also to maintain the proper quality of educational services, which will help improve health care in Ukraine and abroad in the future.
Since the beginning of the war, the EBRD has lent €4 billion to Ukraine. In addition to supporting the private sector, the Bank’s strategic priorities in the country are to support energy security, critical infrastructure, food security and trade.
