KYIV. Sept 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Winner of the HackIT 2017 international cyber forum to be held on September 23 in Kharkiv will be involved in participation in the project of the Ukroboronprom State concern on the creation of the cyber security center in Ukraine meeting NATO standards, the press service of the concern has reported.
According to a posting on its website, the Cyber Guard project initiated by Ukroboronprom’s State Enterprise Ukrinmash will be the general partner of the HackIT 2017 forum.
The key events of the year, the latest cyber weapons, cyber espionage techniques and cyber security threat prevention will be the main issues during discussion section.
Around 1,000 participants from 10 countries will take part in the forum.
“Ukrinmash along with other participants is preparing a detailed presentation, in particular on cyber defense mechanisms in public and financial sectors, IT-business and other industries,” the concern said.
KYIV. Sept 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – World Bank Country Director for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine Satu Kahkonen has said that the automated indexation of pensions in Ukraine should be introduced from 2018 and not from 2021 as it is outlined in the existing bill on pension reform proposed by the Ukrainian government to the Verkhovna Rada.
She said that the pension indexation envisaged in the bill should apply to 2019 and 2010, not only from 2021. This is important for transparency and stability of pension payments and for avoiding the reduction of pensions, she said at a round table in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Kahkonen said that one of the goals of the reform is the creation of a system based on rules, not on a biased decision of the government machine.
She said that the goal would not be reached if the indexation in 2019 and 2020 is left to the discretion of authorities.
She believes that the vagueness with the pension indexation in 2019 and 2019 could shatter confidence of citizens to the pension reform and this must be avoided.
As reported, the government’s bill on pension reform says that in 2019-2020 the pensions will be indexed under a separate decision of the government.
KYIV. Sept 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ovostar Union, a leading shell egg producer in Ukraine, has received a permission to export the shell eggs of class A (table eggs) to the European Union effective from September 12, 2017
According to a report on the company’s website, the company is planning to start first deliveries in October 2017.
According to the EU materials, the subsidiary of Ovostar LLC Yasensvit (Stavysche, Kyiv region) sent the request at the end of July 2017.
Earlier the EU issued only permits to import egg products from Ukraine: the largest Ukrainian market players – Imperovo Foods from Avangard Holding and Ovostar – sent the relevant requests in summer 2014.
KYIV. Sept 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The largest recipient of VAT refund in August 2017 was Azovstal from Metinvest Group, which received UAH 837.4 million, according to the State Treasury Service of Ukraine.
It is followed by Kernel-Trade exporter of oil and other agricultural products with UAH 714.7 million in VAT refunds and another steel works from Metinvest Group – Mariupol Illich Steel Works with UAH 558.8 million refunded.
The top five companies also include Suntrade agricultural exporter with UAH 481.4 million and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih with UAH 426.5 million.
Two agricultural exporters – Myronivsky Hliboproduct with UAH 400 million and the State Food-Grain Corporation with UAH 382 million are sixth and seventh. Another company affiliated with Metinvest, Zaporizhstal, follows them with UAH 177.1 million.
For the first time, Karpatnaftokhim appeared on the list with UAH 121.3 million of VAT refunds. The plant was launched in June after a five-year idle period.
In August, VAT refunding fell by 15% compared to July, to UAH 9.61 billion, and this is 5.6% more than in June.
KYIV. Sept 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The switch of most of services of the State Fiscal Service to the online mode is one of its top new priorities, the Finance Ministry said on its website.
“It is necessary to reduce the human factor as soon as possible, automate the processes and move to the model when taxpayers can get online most of the services,” the press service said, citing Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk on Tuesday.
According to the ministry, about 60% of contacts of payers with the State Fiscal Service are going through the payers servicing centers. Half of the visits have the purpose of filing tax reports and payments. However, 35 out of 55 tax administration services can be fully provided online, and the rest – partially.
According to a posting on the ministry’s website, among the main areas of the fiscal service reform approved at the meeting of the project management committee for the extensive reform of the State Fiscal Service, are automation of the audit process, optimization of work with tax debtors and efficient distribution of functions among the staff.
KYIV. Sept 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) could arrange a long-term loan for ArcelorMittal Group in the amount of up to EUR 350 million to finance capital investments in ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih.
According to a bank report on its website, the EBRD board of directors plans to consider this issue on October 4 this year.
“The proposed facility will support part of a $1.1 billion investment program by ArcelorMittal at its Ukrainian subsidiary ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih. The proceeds from the EBRD loan will be allocated towards capex focusing on improvement of competitiveness, energy efficiency and environmental performance,” reads a report on the EBRD website.
The EBRD specifies the borrower is ArcelorMittal S.A. holding company (Luxembourg), the world’s largest integrated mining and metallurgical company with revenues of $57 billion in 2016, which will then lend to PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, in which it owns 95.13% of the shares.
According to the document, the borrower will receive a senior unsecured loan to in the amount of approximately EUR 350 million, of which EUR200 million will be provided by the EBRD and up to EUR 150 million will be syndicated to commercial lenders or risk participated through unfunded risk participations.
