Business news from Ukraine

CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK’S PROFIT 27% UP IN H1, 2016

KYIV. Aug 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The profit of Credit Agricole Bank (Kyiv) in January-June 2016 amounted to UAH 316 million, which is 26.9% more than in the corresponding period of 2015 (UAH 249 million).

“According to interim financial statements, Credit Agricole Bank (Ukraine) in the first half of 2016 saw a net profit of UAH 316 million, which is UAH 67 million more than in the first half of 2015,” reads a posting on the bank’s website.

According to the report, this financial result was achieved due to stable revenues and lower risk costs: the cost of risks decreased significantly compared to the same period of 2015, by 19%, or UAH 125 million. Reduction in risk costs reflects the improvement of the environment. At the same time, the bank continued its conservative policy of reserve formation, which entailed the increase in the NPL coverage ratio from 71% at the beginning of 2016 to 77% at the end of the first half of 2016.

The ratio of regulatory capital adequacy at the end of June 2016 reached 17.84%, far exceeding the NBU norm of 10%.

Credit Agricole Bank was founded in 1993. Credit Agricole S.A. on January 1, 2016 owned a 99.9961% stake in PJSC Credit Agricole Bank.

GROYSMAN: UKRAINE IMPROVES POSITIONS IN GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT INDEX-2016

KYIV. Aug 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The United Nations has published E-Government Development Index-2016 (EGDI), according to which Ukraine is 62nd among 193 countries and climbed by 25 points compared to 2014, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said.

“I think and I have always thought that e-technologies are an effective tool to provide for transparency and efficiency of authorities in modern conditions, fighting corruption, increasing the quality of servicing and attracting citizens. That’s why wherever I worked – in the city council, parliament and government – I have always actively worked on their introduction,” Groysman wrote on his Facebook page late on Saturday.

He said that Ukraine’s climbing in the rating is an important achievement.

Commenting on the further introduction of e-technologies by Ukrainian authorities, the prime minister said that today first e-government development is among top priorities at the national level.

“The top priority action plan says what must be done and achieved this year and then next three years, in particular, in the following directions: open data development, electronic procurement, electronic services, electronic relations, electronic identification and other things,” he wrote.

TOP-30 COUNTRIEST BY SHARE OF UKRAINIAN EXPORTS/IMPORTS

TOP-30 countriest by share of Ukrainian exports, January-May 2016

20

Excluding the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol and part of the anti-terrorist operation zone. Source: State Statistics Services

 

TOP-30 countriest by share of Ukrainian imports, January-May 2016

21

Excluding the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol and part of the anti-terrorist operation zone. Source: State Statistics Services

4G TECHNOLOGY FIRST TESTED IN UKRAINE

KYIV. Aug 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Intelltelecom (the Giraffe trademark) jointly with Ericsson and Huawei on July 29 first tested LTE TDD 4G technology in the 2,300 MHz range in Ukraine.

The company said in a press release that the highest speed of radio interface, voice and video calls and online high resolution video were tested at several terminals at once.

“During the test the peak speed was 220 megabit per second. The highest possible speed with combination of 20 MHz + 20 MHz in the 2,300 MHz range could be 224 megabit per second,” the company said.

Voice calls from LTE smartphone to another LTE smartphone, a GSM smartphone serviced by one of the Ukrainian mobile communications operators and a fixed communications phone were made.

The company said that 77 commercial networks in 43 countries are using LTE TDD standard now.

As reported, in February 2016 Ukrainian communications operators, including Intelltelecom, the National Commission for Communications Regulation (NCCR), Ukrainian State Center of Radio Frequencies (UCRF) and the research institute at the Defense Ministry signed an agreement with Britain’s Analysys Mason to conduct a study for the radio frequency spectrum for the implementation of the LTE communications standard (4G).

According to the public register, the founder and former president of Kyivstar Ihor Lytovchenko recently became the owner of Intellectual Communications LLC via Cypriot Magnilda Holdings Limited.

PROZORRO STATE PROCUREMENT SYSTEM BECOMES MANDATORY IN UKRAINE FROM AUG 1

KYIV. Aug 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) – All state procurements in Ukraine shall be carried out with the use of the ProZorro e-procurement system from August 1, a posting on the Economic Development and Trade Ministry’s website reads.

“Over the 12 months the ProZorro pilot project has been in effect, savings have exceeded UAH 1 billion (the total sum of the funds saved as of today is UAH 2.6 billion). Therefore we call on all responsible customers to use ProZorro when even handling purchases worth small amounts of money. This is easy, user-friendly and advantageous,” the ministry quoted Deputy Minister Maksym Nefyodov as saying.

The posting says that as of April 2016, the state agencies, large state-owned companies and natural monopolies switched over to the use of the system for tenders with amounts exceeding UAH 200,000 for goods and services and UAH 1.5 million for works.

All local government authorities, municipally owned enterprises and other organizations that use taxpayers’ assets should start using the ProZorro system from August 1.

However, the ministry says, that the use of the system for procurements worth up to UAH 200,000 for goods and services and up to UAH 1.5 million for works is “voluntarily, but very preferable.”

“In 1.5 years, the ProZorro team has conducted over 250 workshops under the public sector’s largest training program. We’ve successfully launched an online course on the Prometheus free platform, created a special website for the customers http://infobox.prozorro.org/, where they could learn more about the system and its rules,” Nefyodov said.

IDS BORJOMI UKRAINE TO INVEST OVER UAH 138 MLN IN PURCHASE OF MINERAL WATER BOTTLING LINES

KYIV. Aug 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Private joint-stock company Industrial and Distribution Systems (ISD), part of IDS Borjomi Ukraine, will supply equipment worth over UAH 138 million to Myrhorod mineral water plant and Morshyn mineral water plant Oscar.

According to a report of Oscar plant, a 1.5-liter PET mineral water bottling line with a capacity of 44,000 bottles per hour will be bought. The cost of the line is UAH 70.94 million.

Industrial and Distribution Systems will supply a 1.5-liter PET mineral water bottling line with a capacity of 34,000 bottles per hour to Myrhorod mineral water plant. The cost of the line is UAH 67.54 million.

IDS Borjomi Ukraine was founded late 2004 after uniting Myrhorod mineral water plant, Morshyn mineral water plant Oscar, Industrial and Distribution Systems and ISD Aqua-Service. In 2008, IDS Borjomi Ukraine finished consolidation of Truskavets water bottling plants and created Truskavets mineral water plant.

IDS Group, which is part of IDS Borjomi International, produces mineral water carrying the labels Morshinska, Mirgorodska, Truskavetska, Stary Myrhorod, Alaska, Sorochynska. It is an exclusive importer of Borjomi mineral water to Ukraine.