Ukraine in January and February 2019 increased revenue from exports of electricity by 30.6% or $9.168 million compared with January and February 2018, to $64.847 million, including $34.093 million in February alone.
Hungary bought electricity worth $37.961 million, Poland $14.254 million, Moldova $9.441 million, other countries $3.191 million, Ukraine’s State Fiscal Service has said.
Over the period under review, Ukraine imported electricity worth $0.204 million, in particular, electricity imports from the Russian Federation were estimated at $0.196 million, from Belarus at $0.007 million, from Moldova at $0.001 million.
As reported, Ukraine in 2018 exported electricity worth $331.942 million. Hungary bought electricity worth $189.958 million, Poland $78.763 million, Moldova $53.144 million, and other countries $10.078 million. Exports of Ukrainian electricity in monetary terms in 2018 increased by 40.9% compared to 2017.
Ukraine increased electricity exports by 19.3% or 999.4 million kWh in 2018, to 6.166 billion kWh.
According to the forecast, Ukraine in 2019 plans to export 6.42 billion kWh of electricity, and this is slightly more than in 2018 (6.2 billion kWh).
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
The continuation of the trend towards the strengthening of the hryvnia that emerged at the beginning of the year in recent weeks has been maintained by a stable supply of foreign currency against the backdrop of a favorable external environment, according to the website of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
“The situation in the foreign exchange market was shaped by the following factors: a favorable external environment for Ukrainian exports, the forthcoming payment of annual taxes to the national budget, which stimulates businesses to sell foreign currency more actively, a weak growth of imports of goods and a low repatriation of dividends in foreign currency abroad, as well as net sales of foreign currency by the population,” the report says.
At the same time, according to the NBU, the inflow of foreign capital into government securities, which has been observed since mid-January, has now slowed down and does not play a significant role in strengthening the hryvnia exchange rate, the National Bank added.
In general, the NBU notes that fluctuations in the direction of strengthening that have been observed in recent weeks is a healthy market reaction to constant changes in the economic situation: under the influence of changes in the supply and demand balance, the national currency can both strengthen and weaken. In such circumstances, short-term forecasting for the hryvnia exchange rate is difficult.
The EU is aware of the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to ban Austrian journalist Christian Wehrschutz from entering Ukraine and expects that such decisions will be taken in accordance with fundamental rights and freedoms, including the European Convention on Human Rights. The EU press secretary said in his comments, handed over to Interfax-Ukraine in Brussels on Friday.
Having informed that this fact is known in Brussels, the agency’s source noted that the EU attaches great importance to freedom of expression and the media. We expect that any of such decisions will include careful consideration of the rights to freedom of expression. We also expect the Ukrainian authorities to refrain from imposing any unnecessary restrictions on the free flow of information and freedom of the media, the agency’s source said.
At the same time, the press secretary recalled that the EU fully supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Protection of national security and citizens should be carried out in full compliance with fundamental rights and freedoms, including the European Convention on Human Rights, he stressed.
Earlier, First Deputy Head of the Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information Policy Olha Chervakova reported that the Security Service of Ukraine had prohibited head of the Ukrainian bureau of the Austrian ORF TV channel Christian Wehrschutz from entering the country because of the “threat he poses to national security.”
Ukraine in January-February 2019 increased exports of poultry by 43% compared to the same period of 2018, to 63,600 tonnes, the State Fiscal Service has reported.
At the same time, according to its data, in monetary terms exports of these products increased by 28%, to $88.2 million.
Imports of poultry in the first two months of the year increased by 5.8%, to 21,500 tonnes, in monetary terms decreased slightly to $8.6 million.
According to the service, in January-February 2019 pork exports decreased by 68.8%, to 114 tonnes. This product was delivered for $230,000, which is 3.7 times less than the figure for the same period last year.
During this period, import of pork to Ukraine increased by 4.4 times, to 4,400 tonnes, in monetary terms it amounted to $8 million, which is 5 times more than in January-February 2018.
