KYIV. May 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Agricom Group seeks to start agricultural production in western Ukraine in autumn, Agricom Group CEO Petro Melnyk said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.
“We have invested some $6 million in the past two years. Now we start developing a new cluster in western Ukraine,” he said.
He said that the cluster development strategy in the first year implies purchase of 5,000-10,000 ha of land to create the production base.
“I think that in the autumn we would sow winter crops there,” Melnyk said.
He also said that Agricom Group is building an oat-flake plant in Chernihiv region.
“We are building oat-flake facilities near Chernihiv, absolutely new comparable to other plants in Europe,” he said.
Melnyk said that shareholders finance the plant and a five-year loan from the Swiss export agency was taken to fund the project.
Agricom Group produces food from grain at own production base. It unites agricultural, processing and trade companies.
KYIV. May 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – State-run Oschadbank (Kyiv) saw UAH 112.032 million in profit in January-March 2016, while a year ago its loss amounted to UAH 5.781 billion.
According to a quarterly report of the bank, its net interest income in Q1 2016 was UAH 2.455 billion, while in Q1 2015 the figure was negative – UAH 1.759 billion.
Total assets increased by 13.6%, to UAH 180.792 billion and credits to clients increased by 5%, to UAH 68.767 billion.
Share capital increased by 16.4%, to UAH 35.109 billion and net worth expanded by 81.2%, to UAH 13.303 billion.
Oschadbank was founded in 1991. Its sole owner is the state.
The bank ranked second among 123 operating banks in the country on October 1, 2015 by total assets (UAH 156.596 billion), according to the National Bank of Ukraine.
KYIV. May 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine has joined global declaration against corruption at the Anti-Corruption Summit in London, Ukraine’s State Fiscal Service has reported.
“Along with 40 other countries and representatives of organizations we have agreed the final document of declaration against corruption and the summit communiqué. Thus, global society expressed firm intention to take all possible measures inside countries and at the international level to eradicate corruption in all possible spheres,” the State Fiscal Service said, citing Head Roman Nasirov.
He said that Ukraine has taken a liability to implement the provisions of the document and take concrete steps declared at the summit to realize a new anti-corruption strategy and action plan to be approved in 2017. Public agencies of the country, first of all the State Fiscal Service, are obliged to check accuracy of information about ultimate beneficiaries of companies, introduce international standards in combating money laundering, narrow opportunities for corruption in the zones of large hazard, cooperate with other countries, international institutions and civil society in introduction of international anti-corruption standards.
KYIV. May 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian postal services state enterprise Ukrposhta seeks to open 100 new branches in 2016. The company opened 32 branches in 2015.
Ukrposhta Head Ihor Tkachuk gave the information in an interview published in the Holos Ukrainy newspaper.
He said that Ukrposhta has the most expanded network with almost 12,000 departments.
He said that Ukrposhta has been providing agent services for two years in cooperation with Universalna insurance company. The gradual increase in the number of branches selling insurance policies has expanded the insurance product range. Branches offer mandatory civil responsibility insurance, driver and passengers’ additional insurance, property insurance, compulsory insurance of civil liability of motor vehicle owners (OSAGO) and responsibility to neighbors.
Tkachuk said that medical policies from Deka Insurance, M-Life and Universalna are also sold using a nickelback scheme.
He also said that Ukrposhta is cooperating with Fidobank and bank Mykhailivsky in signing deposit agreements. A total of 1,580 terminals of Raiffeisen Bank Aval and 857 terminals of PrivatBank are installed in Ukrposhta’s departments.
KYIV. May 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Malyshev Plant (Kharkiv) is preparing for shipping next large batch of engine transmission compartments and other large knots and parts for combat equipment for a foreign customer, the press service of the tank plant has reported.
“The products will be supplied to a long-time business partner of the enterprise. Along with engine transmission compartments, the plant will supply torsion shafts, air cleaners and boilers,” the press service said.
“Engine transmission compartments and other parts have been examined by the contractor and will be shipped soon,” the plant said.
The Malyshev plant is a world-famous Ukrainian manufacturer of armored vehicles. The plant also produces diesel engines and other products.
Its biggest partners in recent years have been Pakistan, China, Iraq and Thailand.
Since January 2011, the plant has been part of the Ukroboronprom Concern.
Pakistan is the main customer of Malyshev Plant. Since 2001, Ukraine has been cooperating with Pakistan and China in the main battle tank (MBT) Al-Khalid project.
KYIV. May 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The volume of investment in elite real estate in Kyiv under the transactions of Blagovist and Park Lane real estate agencies, part of First Realty Group (all based in Kyiv) in April 2016 grew by 1.8 times from March 2016, to $8.489 million, accounting for 25% of total investment in real estate in the past month.
Park Lane said, with reference to its analytical center, that this data includes the calculation of the cost of a transaction in the national currency at the average exchange rate to U.S. dollars on the day of the transaction.
Park Lane reported the share of transactions in the segment of elite real estate in the capital, including facilities with the cost starting with $250,000, in the total volume of transactions formalized by First Realty Group amounted to 7% in April 2016.
The share of transactions with apartments of the total number of deals of First Realty Group was 75%. The highest demand was seen for apartments of 100-250 square meters located both in new residential complexes and old buildings in Pechersky, Shevchenkivsky, Podilsky, Solomiansky and Dniprovsky districts. Their price ranged between $1,700-2,800 per square meter.
According to Park Lane, the share of transactions with non-residential objects in the total volume of transactions in the elite property segment by First Realty Group in Kyiv in April 2016 stood at 10%. The most popular among buyers were offices of 80-150 square meters and a value of $2,800-3,900 square meters located in Pechersky district.
