KYIV. Feb 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Lutsk cardboard-paper mill, part of the United Cardboard Company belonging to businessman Mykola Lobov, produced goods worth UAH 22.3 million in January 2016, which is 37.7% up year-over-year, according to the Ukrpapir association.
The association said that during this period the mill made 3,000 tonnes of various types of cardboard – 3% down year-over-year, including a rise of 18% in packaging cardboard output, to 2,870 tonnes.
The mill did not produce box cardboard in January (400 tonnes in January 2015) as well as roofing cardboard, while cover board production plunged by 58.3%, to 120 tonnes. The mill also did not produce pulp (80 tonnes in January 2015).
One more company in the sector under control of the United Cardboard Company – Poninkivsky Cardboard and Paper Mill – boosted production by 64% in January 2016, to almost UAH 28 million.
The mill more than doubled production of box board, to 3,370 tonnes, and corrugated cardboard packaging output rose by 15%, to 4.07 million square meters.
Paper production rose by 23.2% in January 2016, to 210 tonnes.
Lutsk cardboard-paper mill LLC was founded on the basis of assets of Lutsk cardboard-ruberoid mill in summer 2012.
The mill produces raw materials for corrugated board production (fluting and test liner), roofing, box and cover cardboard.
In 2015, the mill produced goods worth UAH 404.55 million, which was 67.1% up year-over-year.
Poninkivsky Cardboard and Paper Mill was founded over 200 years ago. The mill produces cardboard and paper.
In 2015, the mill saw a rise of 97.3% in production, to UAH 329.22 million.
KYIV. Feb 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Biofarma pharmaceutical company (Kyiv region) as part of the implementation of the project on reconstruction of the Sumy blood donor center plans to restore the regular donor institution to receive high-quality blood for production of blood products.
“Today we’re forming the regular donor institution… Mainly we need to receive high-quality blood components for hospitals and plasma for the fractionator plant. It’s not a secret that there is a high level of virus diseases in Ukraine, as HIV, hepatitis, including hepatitis C, tuberculosis,” Board Chairman Kostiantyn Yefymenko said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
He also said that Biofarma started construction of a blood plasma fractionator with a projected capacity of 400 tonnes in 2015. In April 2016, the company plans to sign contracts to supply equipment for the plant.
“We’ve invested in the Sumy regional blood center to supply enough high-quality blood to the fractionator plant. It is being reconstructed by Biofarma in partnership with Sumy region. We’ve fully modernized the regional blood center. We actually removed everything old one and build a new center which today collects 3 tonnes of plasma a month and it is able to boost it to 5 tonnes,” he said.
Yefymenko said that the company plans to resume donor culture which was lost at many blood centers.
“Our task is to attract as many as possible regular donors who we’re confident of,” he said.
Yefymenko said that the Sumy blood donor center is one of few examples of the successful public private partnership. The Biofarma’s investment in the project reached around $3 million.
Biofarma is among the ten largest Ukrainian drug manufactures. Biofarma produces more than 20 immunobiological preparations of blood, as well as drugs obtained by recombinant DNA technology and probiotics.
Niobera Investments Limited (Cyprus) holds 100% in Biofarma. According to the National Commission for Securities and the Stock Market of Ukraine, Biofarma Board Chairman Kostiantyn Yefymenko is the ultimate beneficiary of a large shareholder in Niobera Investments Limited. Shares do not belong to members of the executive body.
In 2014, Biofarma built a pharmaceutical plant in Bila Tserkva (Kyiv region). Investment totaled $42 million.
In 2014, Biofarma cut its net profit by 9.91% from a year ago, to UAH 25.801 million.
KYIV. Feb 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Biofarma pharmaceutical company (Kyiv region) plans to retain investment in its development in 2016 at the level of 2015 – $12 million.
“In general, in 2015 our investment reached $12 million. We plan not the smaller sum for 2016,” Board Chairman Kostiantyn Yefymenko told Interfax-Ukraine.
He said that last year Biofarma invested $5 million in construction of a probiotic workshop, $3 million in reconstruction of the Sumy blood donor center and $2 million was invested in designing of new medicines.
In addition, Yefymenko said that in 2015 Biofarma renewed the marketing and sales service.
“Now persons with experience of work in famous international corporations are among our top managers. Today this is important as in 2015 we introduced some new medicines to the market and we’re preparing new forms of our products, including nasal sprays, eye drops and suppositories. Probiotics have been launched to the active promotion,” he said.
Yefymenko said that blood preparations are a top-priority direction for the company. In money terms revenue from their sales is 40%.
Biofarma is among the ten largest Ukrainian drug manufactures. Biofarma produces more than 20 immunobiological preparations of blood, as well as drugs obtained by recombinant DNA technology and probiotics.
Niobera Investments Limited (Cyprus) holds 100% in Biofarma. According to the National Commission for Securities and the Stock Market of Ukraine, Biofarma Board Chairman Kostiantyn Yefymenko is the ultimate beneficiary of a large shareholder in Niobera Investments Limited. Shares do not belong to members of the executive body.
In 2014, Biofarma built a pharmaceutical plant in Bila Tserkva (Kyiv region). Investment totaled $42 million.
In 2014, Biofarma cut its net profit by 9.91% from a year ago, to UAH 25.801 million.
KYIV. Feb 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The acceleration of the pace of increasing the minimum capital of banks will lead to the artificial withdrawal of small and medium-sized banks from the market, according to the Ukrainian Credit Banking Union (UCBU).
“The union believes that such actions of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) do not correspond to the current state of the economy as a whole, accelerate the artificial removal of small and medium-sized banks, which have been stably and transparently operating in Ukraine for many years, fulfill the National Bank’s economic regulations, have positive results of audits and other indicators confirming their reliability, from the market,” reads a press release from the UCBU.
According to the document, the NBU’s policy aimed at withdrawing a group of small and medium-sized banks from the market is contrary to the national interests of the country, international practice, as well as prevents the resumption of confidence in the banking system as a whole. Such policies should be discontinued and reoriented to the creation of proper conditions for the activity of small banks, which stably work in their own niche in the banking services market. According to the union, in modern conditions such banks require a separate program of support and development.
KYIV. Feb 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Defense Ministry of Ukraine and METRO Cash & Carry LLC have signed a contract to supply food to military servicemen of the western naval base of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Odesa.
“The agreement on supply of food according to a catalog for the western naval base in Odesa where the experiment on the introduction of the alternative feed system for military servicemen successfully continues has been signed,” the Defense Ministry said on its website on Thursday.
The head of the food reformation system for the Armed Forces of the project office of the Defense Ministry Diana Petrenia said that according to the preliminary results of the electronic reversed auction the cost of a food set per serviceman of the western naval base a day will be UAH 42.39 and on the ship – UAH 44.41.
She said that the previous cost of the food set per serviceman (before December 31, 2015) was UAH 57.24 and UAH 59 on the ship.
She also said that this week it is planned to sign an agreement on supply of food under a catalog in the National Army Academy in Lviv.
It is planned to expand the catalog for military servicemen in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone.
“We’ve worked out 100 additional items for the field set. Calories will be increased. In most NATO member countries military servicemen in the field eat meals ready to eat or cooks are involved. Military cooks will cook in the ATO zone,” the ministry said.
It is also planned to improve the military food quality control system.
Head of the tender committee of the Defense Ministry Oleh Svyrko said that the ministry will initiate amendments to the existing legal base on the application of fines to bidders who violate the qualification requirements or contract conditions.
KYIV. Feb 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The export-credit (insurance) agency that it is planned to create to insure, guarantee and cheapen crediting of exports could start operating in the third quarter of 2017, Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister, Trade Representative of Ukraine Natalia Mykolska said at a meeting with railway producers in the ministry on February 12.
“In 2016, we plan to finish the preparation work, legal and project documents, including the actual launch of the export-insurance agency in 2017, in line with concrete products, and it is likely that this is the third quarter of 2017,” she said.
She said that at the presentation of reforms of state-run banks made on Thursday it was said that Ukreximbank starts fulfilling its direct functions, work with exporters, importers and state support of Ukrainian exporters.
“It is planned to create the state insurance agency that will be involved in insurance and non-banking guarantees, maybe risk hedging,” she said.
Earlier she said that the co-founder of the export-insurance agency could be an international institution.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in late December 2015 decided to create the export-credit agency. The founder of the agency was to be Ukreximbank.
