KYIV. Feb 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Heorhiy Tuka has said the German state bank KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau – Credit Institution for Reconstruction) intends to allocate EUR 25.5 million in funding for housing programs for IDPs.
The deputy minister wrote on his Facebook page that the KfW delegation, which implements a project on for provision of grants for housing for IDPs, started their visit on February 6.
“The work started with the German side presenting the two areas: the provision of cheap loans and the construction of social housing. We were utterly surprise when we saw the planned funds EUR 25.5 million instead of the expected EUR 20 million!” Tuka wrote.
KYIV. Feb 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian coke and semi-coke exports in physical terms grew by 30.1% year-on-year in January 2017, to 12,883 tonnes.
Coke and semi-coke exports in monetary terms rose by 21.6%, to $1.611 million, according to a customs statistics report issued by Ukraine’s State Fiscal Service.
Most exports went to Turkey (31.04% of total exports in monetary terms), Bulgaria (28.24%) and Lithuania (16.51%).
In January 2017, Ukraine’s coke and semi-coke imports amounted to 76,144 tonnes, 14.4% less than in January 2016. Imports in monetary terms rose by 44.5%, to $17.183 million. Imports mainly originated from Russia (51.37% of imports in monetary terms), Poland (47.8%) and the Czech Republic (0.83%).
As reported, in 2016 Ukraine boosted exports of coke by 7.4%, to 257,356 tonnes, and in money terms it fell by 14.8%, to $32.543 million. Ukraine imported 1.612 million tonnes of coke and semi-coke in 2016, and it was 20.9% less than in 2015. In money terms imports decreased by 25.7%, to $294.061 million.
Due to fighting in eastern Ukraine, some mines and coking chemical plants are now in territory which is temporarily uncontrolled by the Ukrainian government.
Donetsksteel industrial and financial group, which is a large producer of coal, coke, pig iron and rolled steel, is a major exporter of coke. The group incorporates PrJSC Donetsksteel metallurgical plant, PJSC Donetsk metallurgical plant, JSC Yasynivsky coking chemical plant, PrJSC Makiyivkoks, and JSC Coal Company Pokrovske (former Krasnoarmiiska–Zakhidna No. 1).
Many of these enterprises are now in territory which is temporarily uncontrolled by the Ukrainian authorities.
Viktor Nusenkis, a Russian businessman of Ukrainian origin, is the beneficial owner of the group.
KYIV. Feb 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian manufacturers and exporters oppose the increase of tariffs for cargo transportation by rail by 25% announced by the Infrastructure Ministry.
The press service of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE) has reported that the ULIE has sent a letter with the positions of Ukrainian associations to Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.
The ULIE said that the 25% rise in the tariffs creates large risks: billions of hryvnias would be washed out of the working capital in the agricultural, metal, engineering and other sectors.
“The change of taxation of agricultural producers in 2016 washed out at least UAH 25 billion from the sector. Now it would be another UAH 8-10 billion. This could result in shutting down production facilities, decrease of exports and growth of the hryvnia exchange rate to the U.S. dollar,” the ULIE said, referring to experts from the agricultural sector.
ULIE President Anatoliy Kinakh said that railway is a sole option for many industrialists: up to 90% of their products are shipped by rail. The sharp increase in the tariffs would affect their budgets and result in reduction of production.
“Deterioration of rolling stock is catastrophic – up to 85%. Now some steps have been made to solve this problem: the relevant decisions by the national committee for industrial development. Industrialists understand that the money is required to modernize railways. Why it is done the problem of consumers of the cargo transportation services?” he said.
Kinakh said that growth of the tariffs by 30% and 15% in the previous years did not influence the state of cargo transportation. The situation should be discussed with manufacturers and exporters and a compromise decision should be found.
In general, manufacturers are convinced that Ukrzaliznytsia should be reformed. A modern transport enterprise should be created, but not at the expense of consumers of its services, but thanks to professional management and development of the national producer order system, ULIE said.
KYIV. Feb 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The working group established under Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers, which includes representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Monetary Fund, believes that selling stakes in Ukrainian regional electricity-generating companies, as well as PJSC Centrenergo, will only be possible after adoption of the law on the electric energy market. Introduction of new regulatory measures will also be necessary, according to the press service of Ukraine’s State Property Fund (SPF).
The SPF said the corresponding opinions of the working group were made following its latest sitting.
“Members of the working group expressed a single though – that selling stakes in Ukraine’s regional electricity generating companies and Centrenergo, even 25% stakes, cannot be done without first passing the law on the electricity market and introducing new regulatory measures. International experts have expressed willingness to make this view known to government officials,” the SPF’s press release said.
As earlier reported, the parliament’s committee overseeing the nation’s fuel and energy sector has floored a draft bill, entitled “On the electricity market.”
KYIV. Feb 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Kyiv city authorities plan to launch two new subway stations within three years – Prospekt Pravdy and Mostytska. Construction works could start in December 2017, the press service of Kyiv City Council has reported, referring to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
“According to the preliminary calculations, we could open the Mostytska and Prospekt Pravdy stations within three years,” he said at a visiting meeting at the Syretska subway station.
He said that at present the project is being designed and examined. Its approximate cost is UAH 5 billion.
The mayor said that Managing Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Thomas Maier showed the bank’s interest in the projects to build subway when Klitschko met him.
He said that construction of subway to Troyeshyna residential district could be possible only after the completion of the Podilsko-Voskresensky Bridge.
KYIV. Feb 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine is making the dredging works market open and invites businessmen to participate in it, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan has said.
“We are opening the dredging works market for business. I hope that the market will be open and transparent,” he said at a meeting with dredging companies in the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine last week.
Omelyan said that the country will also open the internal water route market. He invited business to constructive work in this segment.
