Consumer confidence of Ukrainians in December 2018 improved compared with November by 2.4 points, to 62.2 on a 200-point scale, following the November trend after a significant decline in October 2018, GfK Ukraine has reported on the results of a monthly study, clarifying that from January 2019 it stopped this research project. This indicator is also 1.9 points higher compared to December 2017, the report says.
“In December, the optimism of consumers recovered after a slight recession in October-November. The consumer confidence of the citizens with average and higher than average income has improved the most. In December, these groups saw the significant increase of the index of expected changes in future income and propensity to consume. Instead, the pessimism has increased in the group of citizens with lower than average income,” GfK Ukraine analysts said.
The largest positive trend was shown by the index of propensity to consume, which rose by 3.7 points in December 2018, to 71.6, the study indicates.
Ukrainians were also optimistic about the expectations of changes in unemployment: the corresponding index rose by 3.5 points, to 134. The index of expected changes in personal financial standing grew by 3.2 points, to 61.8.
In addition, the inflation expectations index improved, dropping by 2.6 points, to 186.6, and the economic expectations index increased by 2.6 points, to 63.6.
Income of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in 2017 totaled UAH 16.304 million. According to the declaration of the candidate for the post of President of Ukraine for 2017, which he entered in the unified register of declarations, UAH 336,000 of income of Poroshenko was the salary corresponding to the position occupied, UAH 15.796 million of interest on deposits in his International Investment Bank (IIB), and he received UAH 172,000 of income from the sale of movable property.
On accounts in his IIB bank, Poroshenko keeps $25.49 million, another UAH 8.19 million are in PJSC Prime Assets Capital, uniting many of his assets. He keeps cash in the amount of $21,000 and UAH 60,000. The president also lent $3.43 million and UAH 1.111 million to third parties.
In 2017, the president placed $10,777 to an account with Rothschild Bank AG (Switzerland), owned by Rothschild Trust Schweiz AG (Switzerland).
In 2017, Poroshenko spent more than UAH 3.8 million on education, UAH 7.549 million on transport services, UAH 2.736 million on tourist services in Ukraine, UAH 5.472 million on accommodation services in Ukraine, UAH 813,500 on utility bills, UAH 90,800 on investment management services or consultations, and another UAH 95,476 on hospitality and logistic arrangements of the delegation in Belgium.
In 2017, Poroshenko did not receive dividends from more than 100 enterprises and legal entities, which ultimate beneficial owner (controller) he is.
Among them PJSC closed-end non-diversified corporate investment fund Prime Assets Capital, which unites many assets of the incumbent president.
In 2017, Poroshenko remained the ultimate beneficiary of PrJSC Roshen Kyiv confectionery factory, and its subsidiaries, Central European confectionery company LLC, the subsidiary Roshen confectionery corporation, a private limited liability company Roshen Europe B.V. (the Netherlands), PJSC Vinnytsia Confectionery Factory, PJSC Vinnitsa Dairy Plant Roshen, PrJSC Kremenchuk Confectionery Factory Roshen, PJSC Mariupol Confectionery Factory Roshen, Roshen Biscuit Complex LLC (Boryspil).
The European Union (EU) has selected Laura Garbenciute its representative in the supervisory board of the Energy Efficiency Fund of Ukraine, thus, completing the creation of the board. According to a report of the press service of the Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Ministry, earlier Garbenciute worked in PricewaterhouseCoopers and has considerable experience in the audit sphere.
As reported, two representatives from the government, one representative from international donors and two independent representatives are members of the supervisory board of the Energy Efficiency Fund. They are elected for five years. The same person is restricted to three terms of office and may be selected only at a tender.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine selected its representatives in the supervisory board of the Energy Efficiency Fund: Deputy Finance Minister Yuriy Heletei and Director of the life-support systems economy department of the Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Ministry Natalia Khotsianovska.
Winners of the tender to select independent members of the supervisory board of the Energy Efficiency Fund are Andrzej Rajkiewicz (Poland) and Yulia Sabatiuk (Ukraine).
National energy company Ukrenergo saw UAH 2.5 billion in net profit in 2018, which is 1.4 times more than in 2017 (UAH 1.75 billion), Ukrenergo CEO Vsevolod Kovalchuk said at the presentation entitled “10 Steps Towards Europe” late on Thursday.
He said that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin of Ukrenergo last year was 58.2%.
In addition, Ukrenergo paid UAH 1.3 billion of taxes to the national budget.
As reported, Ukrenergo in 2017 cut its net profit by 42% or UAH 1.264 billion compared with 2016, to UAH 1.748 billion.
Ukrenergo operates trunk and interstate transmission lines, as well as centralized dispatching of the country’s integrated power grids. It is a state-owned enterprise, but it will be transformed into a private joint-stock company soon.
The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority plans to announce tenders to transfer Olvia stevedoring company and Kherson maritime merchandise port in concession in May 2019, Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority Head Raivis Veckagans said at a briefing at the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine on Thursday.
“An important process in 2019 will be our concession projects. We plan to set up a tender commission for project evaluation in February. In March, we plan that the tender documents and criteria for evaluating potential bidders will be approved, and in May we plan to announce the tender,” he said.
Veckagans expects that by autumn, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority will sign the first concession agreements with public stevedoring companies.
“Also this year we plan to complete work on the feasibility studies for the following concession projects: the railway ferry complex at Chornomorsk and the public stevedoring company at the Yuzhny seaport.
As reported, the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine was expecting to conduct tender procedures for the transfer of Olvia stevedoring company and Kherson maritime merchandise port in concession in March-April and sign contracts with the winners of the tenders in May-June 2019.
PJSC Ukrnafta in 2018 paid UAH 7.8 billion of royalties to the budgets of all levels, the company’s press service has reported.
The press service said that UAH 389.3 million was paid to the local budgets, including UAH 165 million in Sumy region, UAH 87.4 million in Ivano-Frankivsk region and UAH 62.5 million in Poltava region.
As reported, Ukrnafta in 2018 increased extraction of oil and gas condensate by 5% or 0.069 million tonnes compared with 2017, to 1.448 million tonnes. Gas production in 2018 fell by 2.3% or 0.026 million cubic meters, to 1.082 billion cubic meters, and production of liquefied gas decreased 5.2% or 6,000 tonnes, to 110,000 tonnes.
Ukrnafta is the largest oil producer in the country. National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy owns 50% and one share of Ukrnafta, and a group of companies associated with former shareholders of PrivatBank – about 42% of the shares.
