Consumer confidence of Ukrainians in October 2018 decreased to the level of early 2018, and the downward trend touched all indexes, apart from devaluation expectations. According to the materials of the monthly study of GfK Ukraine, the consumer confidence index (CCI) equaled 56.9 in October 2018, which is 5.7 points lower than the indicator in September 2018 and 5.7 points higher than in October 2017.
GfK Ukraine said that index of expectations of the country’s economic development over the next year decreased by 9.7 points and equaled 52.9.
Index of expectations of the country’s economic development over the next five years also decreased and equaled 64.3, which is 7.2 points lower than the indicator in September.
In general, in October, index of economic expectations (ІЕE) decreased by 6.6 points to the level of 57.5.
Index of propensity to consume decreased by 6.2 points and reached the indicator of 65.3, GfK Ukraine said.
Index of the current situation (ICS) decreased by 4.5 points and equaled 56.
Index of expected changes in personal financial standing decreased by 2.8 points comparing to the previous month and equaled 55.1.
In October, the expectations of Ukrainians regarding the possibility of unemployment have slightly worsened: the indicator of index of expectations of changes in unemployment equaled 136.2 that is 2.3 higher than the indicator in the previous month.
Meanwhile, index of inflationary expectations has remained mostly unchanged 190.3, which is 0.1 points lower than in the previous month.
“At the same time, the consumers corrected the devaluation expectations: the index of devaluation expectations decreased after its sharp growth in August-September,” the authors of the study said, adding that index of devaluation expectations decreased by 8.1 points and reached the level of 162.2.
GfK Ukraine has been surveying households to determine consumer confidence in Ukraine since June 2000. Some 1,000 respondents are polled.
JSC EVR (Estonian railways) is interested in expanding the route of the Kyiv-Minsk-Vilnius-Riga train to Tallinn, and the negotiations on the issue are scheduled for December, Ukrzaliznytsia reported on Monday. “Today the train is running at about zero cost effectiveness. However, given the “low season” and only the recent launch, we can consider the launch of this train successful,” Ukrzaliznytsia said.
According to the company, after eight trips the train carried 2,100 passengers, of which 1,000 – to/from Lithuania and 950 – to/from Latvia.
As reported, the Kyiv-Minsk-Vilnius-Riga train with shuttling once a week was launched on September 28 of this year from Kyiv.
The budget of Kyiv for 2019 is planned at the level of UAH 53 billion, the press service of Kyiv City State Administration has reported.
“The budget of the capital for 2019 is planned at the level of UAH 53 billion,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
According to the mayor, in recent years the Kyiv authorities have managed to increase revenues to the capital budget. The budget of Kyiv for 2018 grew by almost UAH 4 billion. And this allowed realizing many necessary infrastructure projects.
This year, at the expense of the city budget, it was possible to overhaul over 800 kilometers of roads. Bicycle paths appeared in the city, it became possible to build or completely reconstruct 19 kindergartens and seven schools, to implement many other projects.
Westinghouse (the United States) is ready to fully provide all Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPP) with nuclear fuel, the press service of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry has reported, citing the company representatives during a meeting with Energy Minister Ihor Nasalyk.
The company assured about the availability of all the technical and logistic capabilities to reach the 100% provision of all power units of Ukrainian nuclear power plants with nuclear fuel. Now the company supplies fuel to six VVER-1000 power units. The third unit of Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP is completely switched to the fuel of Westinghouse.
“Considering the existing threats to the national security of Ukraine, in case of cessation of supplies of nuclear fuel from the Russian Federation, we are ready to ensure the operation of power units at Ukrainian NPPs using fuel from Westinghouse,” the minister said.
In addition, the parties are considering the expansion of cooperation regarding the company’s participation in the construction of a nuclear fuel treatment plant in Ukraine, as well as the implementation of the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge project.
Currently, Westinghouse occupies 40% of the Ukrainian nuclear fuel market, supplying it to six out of 15 reactors.
As reported, in early 2018 Energoatom and Westinghouse Electric extended the contract for the supply of nuclear fuel until 2025.
Ukraine in 2022 would increase grain and oilseeds production from 90 million tonnes in 2018 to 100 million tonnes, President of the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) Mykola Horbachev has said. “We expect that by 2022 Ukraine will increase the production of grain and oilseeds to 100 million tonnes, exports will be up to 70 million tonnes. By this time, the port capacity will be enough to unload these volumes,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“This year we already have more than 90 million tonnes. This season we expect a record grain yield thanks to corn. We had 6 tonnes per hectare in good years before, and this year we already have 7.8 tonnes from 1 ha. We are approaching normal rates. For example, in the United States, the average corn yield is 11 tonnes per ha,” Horbachev said.
At the same time, according to him, next year we can expect a slight decline in cereal production, since the record corn harvest may not repeat.
“We predict a total grain and oilseed harvest of 92 million tonnes. If next year the corn harvest is usual, this figure will decrease by almost 9 million tonnes. But this is more associated with corn. We expect the same (that is, usual) harvest for major crops, since the acreage has not changed,” the president of the UGA said.
According to him, the export of grain without processing products for the current year is planned at the level of 52-52.5 million tonnes. However, companies may have difficulties with timely delivery of grain to ports due to difficulties with Ukrzaliznytsia.
“We can work at the level of 5 million tonnes of exports per month. But it must somehow be predicted: about 6 million tonnes of corn were sold in October-November, but it is not a fact that it will have time to get to the port. Thus, some companies had a situation when they could not ensure the availability of cargo in the port. They purchased grain in Argentina or Brazil and supplied it from those countries, not from Ukraine,” Horbachev said.
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has passed an amendment to the Tax Code, according to which the excise duty on fruit and berry wines is reduced to UAH 0.01 per liter, Head of the Ukrsadvynprom association Volodymyr Pechko has said. “The Verkhovna Rada reduced the excise duty on fruit and berry wines and equated it to the excise duty on grape wines. Previously, it was equated with liquor and vodka products. This industry was dilapidated when there was ‘draconian’ legislation. And now the conditions are optimal to resume production of fruit and berry wines,” he told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to a comparative table, the tax rate on non-sparkling wines with 1.2-15% ABV will be UAH 0.01 per liter.
According to the head of Ukrsadvynprom, the parliament also agreed on changes, according to which, new producers of wine products will be considered the fourth group of taxpayers using the simplified taxation system.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers has increased government support for hop growing, laying of young gardens, vineyards and berries, from UAH 300 million in 2018 to UAH 400 million in 2019.
