Ferrexpo Plc (the U.K.), which in Ukraine controls Poltava and Yeristovo mining enterprises, in 2018 exported 10.287 million tonnes of pellets to European countries, as well as to Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and China, remaining the leader in exports of pellets among similar companies from the CIS. The company said in a press release on Wednesday that the information was published by state-owned enterprise Ukrainian Industry Expertise.
Poltava Mining exported 7.61 million tonnes of iron ore pellets and Yeristovo Mining – 2.677 million tonnes.
According to the document, the Metinvest group exported 5.374 million tonnes of pellets (including Pivnichny Mining – 3.136 million tonnes, Central Mining – 2.239 million tonnes).
The Severstal Group, in particular, the Karelsky Okatysh (Russia) exported 5.293 million tonnes of iron ore pellets for the reporting period. The Metalloinvest group exported 4.205 million tonnes of pellets (including Mikhailovsky GOK – 2.817 million tonnes, Lebedinsky GOK – 1.389 million tonnes, all of them based in Russia). The Evraz group, in particular EVRAZ KGOK, exported 558,900 tonnes of pellets.
“Ferrexpo has traditionally become the leader in the export of iron ore pellets among the enterprises of the former USSR countries, according to the results of 12 months of 2018,” the company said in the press release referring to the data of Ukrainian Industry Expertise.
In addition, it is reported that during this period, Poltava Mining produced 10.607 million tonnes of iron ore pellets. The production of Mikhailovsky GOK totaled 14.887 million tonnes of iron ore pellets, Karelsky Okatysh – 11.225 million tonnes, and Pivnichny Mining – 8.45 million tonnes.
The Ukrainian Association of Medical Cannabis nongovernmental organization has sent an electronic petition to the Verkhovna Rada seeking to legalize cannabis for the scientific and medical purposes.
Activists are demanding to legally regulate patients’ access to cannabis drugs in the treatment of chronic pain, epilepsy, anorexia, post-traumatic syndrome, immune system diseases, arthritis and rheumatism, asthma, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, degenerative chorea, herpes, ulcers, AIDS weight loss, diabetic neuropathy, various forms of sclerosis and other serious diseases.
According to the petition, the text of which is posted on the website of the parliament on Wednesday, the use of drugs based on cannabis is regulated by the laws in Canada, the United States, Australia and EU member states.
To date, the petition has collected about 200 signatures.
In Ukraine, the use of medical cannabis is prohibited.
On February, 2 and 3 a «Horse program – interactive with the visitors» will take place near Kyiv in the «Kyivan Rus Park», during which the guests will get acquainted with the unique horses of historical breeds. An unforgettable journey into the epoch of the Middle Ages, live communication with the purebred horses, ancient Slavic winter amusements, master-classes, delicious dishes prepared on open-fire by the princely cooks and a lot more of new and interesting from the life of our ancestors will be waiting for the guests.
Ancient Kyiv opens at 10:00. The program starts at 13:00.
The ticket price: a full adult ticket – 150 UAH, for pensioners and students – 100 UAH, for schoolchildren – 50 UAH, for preschool children – for free.
Ancient Kyiv in the «Kyivan Rus Park» is situated in the vill. Kopachiv, Obukhiv district, Kyiv region.
Route taxis leave from Kyiv from the «Vydybitchi» metro station.
Detailed information on the website www.parkkyivrus.com
The Interfax subscribers can save money with the “openbusiness-20” promo code for a 20%-discount for a full price adult ticket to the Principality of Kyivan Rus:
– by previous order by tel.: +38 044 461-99-37, +38 050 385-20-35
– or at the cash desk at the entrance to the «Kyivan Rus Park».
Deloitte Touche Japan and Green Power Development Japan (both based in Japan) are interested in building solar power plants with the capacity of up to 1.2 GW in the Chornobyl exclusion zone. This information was made public at a meeting of Olha Buslavets, the Director General of the Energy Markets Directorate of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry, Masatoshi Nishimoto, the Director of Deloitte Touche Japan, the Executive Director of Green Power Development Japan, and representatives of the Japanese government in Kyiv on January 30.
According to the press service of the ministry, during the meeting the parties discussed the economic and technical aspects of construction of solar plants, as well as a draft law on the introduction of “green” auctions.
As reported, the construction of a pilot solar plant with a capacity of 1 MW of the Enerparc AG-Rodina Energy Group consortium was completed in early 2018. In the autumn of 2018, the consortium announced its intention to increase the station’s capacity to 100 MW.
Ukrainians are ready to cast more votes for presidential candidate and showman Volodymyr Zelensky, who, with a slight margin, is followed by leader of the Batkivschyna Party Yulia Tymoshenko. The incumbent head of state, Petro Poroshenko, ranks third, according to the findings of a poll conducted by Rating Group in January 2019, which were presented at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine. According to the data, the leader of the presidential race is Zelensky, who is supported by 19.0% of those who plan to vote, Tymoshenko secured the support of 18.2% of respondents, while 15.1% are ready to vote for Poroshenko.
Ukrainian banks expect that lending and inflow of deposits continue in 2019, they also count on improvement of the loan portfolio, according to the poll on the conditions of banking lending conducted by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). According to a report posted on the central bank’s website, three quarters of the banks surveyed predict growth in corporate loans in 2019, 62% of respondents – the growth of consumer loans.
Some 66% of respondents predict the continuation of the inflow of deposits from the public in 2019, 67% – the inflow of business funds.
“The value of deposits is the highest in the entire history of observations,” the NBU said.
In the fourth quarter of 2018, the demand for loans continued to increase both from the public and business, due to the growing needs of enterprises in funds for capital investment and replenishment of working capital, as well as debt restructuring. At the same time, the business was mainly interested in short-term hryvnia loans.
In the fourth quarter of 2018, banks somewhat increased the standards for approving applications for all types of business loans along with deteriorating expectations, primarily for the exchange rate and economic development, as well as increased collateral risk. However, in the first quarter of 2019, banks plan to slightly relax domestic business lending requirements, especially for loans to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Consumer lending contributed to growth in the retail loan portfolio in the fourth quarter of 2018. The demand for respective loans was linked to an improvement in consumer confidence and a rise in spending on durable goods.
Standards for loans issued to households have not changed.
According to the report, banks, for the first time in five quarters, noted a decrease in liquidity risk.
“Banks expect that credit, currency and operational risks will increase in the first quarter of 2019, liquidity risks will decrease, interest rates will not change,” the NBU said.
The survey was conducted from December 18, 2018 to January 10, 2019 among the loan managers of 61 banks, which share of the total assets of the banking system is 96%. The next survey on bank lending will be about expectations for the second quarter of 2019 and will be published in April.
