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.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development has agreed with Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure to extend the liberalization of freight transport, the ministry’s press service said on Thursday. According to the ministry, the “transport visa-free zone” or liberalization of freight transport with Turkey, includes bilateral freight traffic and transit traffic, the ministry said.
“Of all the exports we deliver to Turkey, about 15% are by road transport. Turkish companies import to us exactly by road transport almost 60% of the total volume of goods,” said Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction – Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure Alexander Kubrakov.
As a result of the agreement, the parties no longer need permits for cargo and transit transportation. At the same time, permit-free passage is also valid for the entry of empty trucks.
In addition, the Ministry of Transport agreed with the Turkish side to increase the number of permits for cargo transportation to/from third countries and bus transportation to 3,500 permits and 400 permits, respectively.
“We are working on the possibilities of performing irregular bus transportation – we have agreed on 400 permits for such trips. In the near future, part of these permits will be delivered to Ukraine for issuance to carriers,” – emphasized Deputy Minister of development of communities, territories and infrastructure Sergiy Derkach.
As reported, liberalization of freight transport is available with 35 countries, including the European Union. Last year, the team of the Ministry of Recovery managed to agree on the possibility with Norway, North Macedonia and extend the relevant agreement with Moldova.
International retailer Inditex plans to reopen 50 Zara stores in Ukraine that have been closed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Reuters reported citing the Financial Times.
According to the report, the retailer plans to resume operations gradually from the beginning of April. The first to reopen will be 20 stores in shopping centers in Kyiv, including three outlets.
In total, 50 stores are planned to reopen, while 34 outlets located in the south and east of Ukraine will remain closed for now, the article says.
It is noted that Inditex has informed local landlords of its plans to open. “Interfax-Ukraine sent relevant requests to Ukrainian businesses.
The retailer’s plans to resume operations in Ukraine were confirmed to the agency by Dmytro Lashin, CEO of the capital’s Lavina Mall and Blockbuster Mall.
“Yesterday in a telephone conversation we confirmed the opening in April. They will open within a few days in different locations,” he told Interfax-Ukraine.
Inditex, owned by Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, operates clothing, footwear and accessories stores under the Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Uterque brands. At the end of 2022, sales reached 32.6 billion euros (+17.5% compared to 2021). Net profit increased by 27% to €4.1 billion.
