KYIV. May 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The council of the business ombudsman, with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), has presented the Ukrainian network of integrity and compliance, a new initiative for business that seeks to work transparently.
According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, 46 Ukrainian and international companies in Kyiv on May 19 signed a declaration of integrity and will jointly form the principles and rules of the network.
The declared goal of creating the network is to promote the idea of ethical and responsible business doing: the network member companies agree to maintain an impeccable business reputation and constantly improve standards of integrity in accordance with the best world practices.
It is assumed that the network members will work together to assess anti-corruption risks for implementing compliance programs in their organizations, attract business representatives to discussing principles of integrity, increase interest in transparent business doing among market participants, and regularly confirm the level of their integrity.
Business Ombudsman Algirdas Semeta, who initiated the creation of the network, informed the agency its participants plan by mid-autumn to work out a model within the framework of which they will confirm and verify the fulfillment of commitments undertaken within this initiative.
KYIV. May 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The People’s Republic of China is interested in creating a free trade zone (FTA) and establishing a visa-free regime with Ukraine.
The president’s representative in the Verkovna Rada, a member of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction Iryna Lutsenko informed about this during a briefing in Kyiv on Friday devoted to the recent visit of the Ukrainian delegation to China to participate in the high-level dialogue within the framework of the One Belt, One Road Forum, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported.
“China does not restrict only on economic cooperation. It was said that China is interested in the initiative to create a free trade zone and establish a visa-free regime,” she said.
According to Lutsenko, today about 100 million Chinese citizens have the opportunity to travel to Europe, including Ukraine.
“This fact cannot but interest our tourist business, our hotels, enterprises, cafes, restaurants, etc. China is interested in Ukraine, it shows great preference towards it,” Lutsenko said.
As reported, the Upper House (Senate) of the Canadian parliament voted for a free trade zone with Ukraine on May 18.
KYIV. May 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Urban Experts & Leslie Jones Architecture (Kyiv) will act as a general designer of the largest trade and entertainment center in Ukraine with an area of 450,000 square meters.
According to the company’s press service, the trade center will be located in Holosiyevsky district of Kyiv and will become one of the largest shopping centers in Europe.
“The architects of Urban Experts & Leslie Jones Architecture will perform a full-stage design of the shopping center on the basis of the concept developed by the partner consulting company NAI Ukraine,” the report said.
Urban Experts was founded in March 2016 by the former managing partner of Ukrainian Trade Guild (UTG, Kyiv), Vitaliy Boiko.
The company is the exclusive partner of Leslie Jones Architecture international architectural bureau in Ukraine. It provides architectural services of the world level in all segments of real estate in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, the CIS, and the Baltic states.
Urban Experts cooperates with the leaders of the Ukrainian real estate market, including UDP, KAN Development, Mandarin Plaza, Kyivmiskbud, Bank Arkada, Argo Real Estate Fund and others.
KHARKIV. May 19 (Interfax-Ukraine – The strategy of development of PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia for 2017-2021 provides for a comprehensive modernization of rolling stock and infrastructure, company chairman Wojciech Balczun has said.
“In the next five years we plan to invest UAH 130-150 billion,” he said at a press conference in Kharkiv.
According to him, in particular, it is planned to upgrade 30% of the fleet of freight cars and locomotives, 45% of passenger carriages.
It is expected investments in the freight transportation sector will amount to more than UAH 28 billion, which will allow buying 20,000 new wagons and modernizing 50,000 already available. In addition, UAH 9 billion is expected to be used to purchase 400 passenger carriages, UAH 11 billion for the purchase of electric trains, UAH 3.5 billion for diesel trains and more than UAH 10 billion for the modernization and repair of the existing rolling stock. As for traction rolling stock, it is planned to purchase more than 200 new locomotives (UAH 30 billion) and modernize the existing ones (UAH 9.5 billion).
The strategy, which the management presented to the staff of the regional branch of PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia, provides for the continuation of reforming the industry by building a vertically integrated structure. In particular, it is planned to create companies not on a regional basis, as it was before, but on the areas of activity: freight transportation and logistics, passenger carriage, infrastructure, traction services, production and service. All these companies are expected to be created during 2017-2019.
KYIV. May 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – KSG agricultural holding is working on a project to sell pigs and jointly grow them in Georgia.
“In Georgia we are working on the project where we plan not only to sell, but also to send pigs there and jointly grow them. We have partners who are ready to invest in this case with us,” Chairman of the supervisory board of KSG Agro Serhiy Kasianov said at a press conference.
He said that recently the company received a document from Georgian authorities that the company is permitted to export pigs for the period until 2018.
“During several weeks we would specify our plans with Georgian partners regarding the active Georgian season,” Kasianov said.
The holding also plans to export pork to Georgia and enter the top five suppliers of pork to this country.
He said that pork production in Ukraine would decline by 10-15% in 2017, and supplies from households would decrease by 50-60%.
“In general, we see large demand. Today we sell even with advance payments. Demand is so high that we cannot satisfy it. Today the orders are twice larger than we are able to produce,” he said.
The holding also seeks to boost sow numbers in the long term outlook to increase pig sales by 10%.
KYIV. May 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The administration of PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region) will raise wages to its workers by 25-70% from May 1 of the current year, plant CEO Paramjit Kahlon has said.
According to a press release from the company, the increase in wages will concern the workers of major professions involved in production processes.
At the same time, the wages lower than UAH 5,000 will be raised by 60-70%, those of UAH 5,000 to UAH 6,000 by 40%, UAH 6,000-7,000 by 35%, UAH 7,000-8,000 by 30%, and UAH 8,000-9,000 by 25%.
There will be no increase in the wages of the administrative staff and the company management.
“We are starting the implementation of a new grade wage system that will objectively take into account the interests of all employees of PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih. We have been working hard to change the system of labor remuneration since the beginning of 2017. And I thank all our employees, trade union organizations for cooperation, help and patience. The decision to raise wages is necessary, but very difficult in the conditions in which the company is currently operating,” the director general said.
