KYIV. May 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and Director of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) European Department Poul M. Thomsen have discussed Ukraine’s cooperation with the IMF.
“Support is important for Ukraine in hard times, including support of the IMF. We also consider our cooperation as an opportunity of conducting structural reforms that would allow transforming Ukraine from the post-Soviet state into a modern European country,” Groysman said at a meeting with Thomsen on Tuesday, the government’s press service reported.
The prime minister said that the new Ukrainian government cleaves to the line of conducting and accelerating reforms in the country, particularly in the customs, taxation areas, transparency of public administration via public appointment of heads of state-run enterprises, improvement of the public procurement system and conducting open privatization.
“We believe that reforms are our homework, and the IMF is a strategic partner who helps use to take this difficult course,” Groysman said.
He said that jointly with the Group of Strategic Advisors for Support of Reforms in Ukraine with co-chairs Leszek Balcerowicz and Ivan Miklos the government is working on the action plan that would be presented soon.
Thomsen, in turn, welcomed the formation of the new government and said that the IMF is ready to support Ukraine in reforms.
KYIV. May 10(Interfax-Ukraine) – Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Shigeki Sumi at a meeting with Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said that his country is ready to provide support to Ukraine to develop cyber police, the communications department of the Interior Ministry has reported.
“The Japanese diplomat said that one of the key directions of cooperation between Ukraine and Japan in reforming the police is cyber security. He said that Japan backs the Ukrainian Interior Ministry’s steps to create and develop cyber police and is ready to provide the country with financial and expert assistance,” the department said.
The ambassador also said that Japan welcomes the new Ukrainian government and the country is ready to continue cooperation.
Sumi invited Avakov to visit Japan in the near future to study the principles of work of the Japanese law enforcement system.
KYIV. May 10 (Interfax-Ukraine) – United States Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt has said that Metinvest in Mariupol is the example of extraordinary resilience of Ukrainian people
“Metinvest is the example of extraordinary resilience of Ukrainian people,” the press service of Metinvest Group reported, citing Pyatt during his visit to Mariupol Illich Steel Works on April 28.
According to the press release, the largest environmental project in Ukraine, Sinter Plant Modernization, was demonstrated to the U.S. diplomat. Pyatt was made aware of the role of Metinvest in the Ukrainian economy, and other investment projects of Metinvest Group, and its social partnership programs in Mariupol and other cities of the company’s presence.
Metinvest Group’s Chief Executive Officer Yuriy Ryzhenkov, General Director of Illich Steel Works Yuriy Zinchenko and General Director of Azovstal Iron and Steel Works Enver Tskitishvili attended the meeting with Pyatt.
Zinchenko informed that today major overhaul of two sinter machines has completed with installation of modern gas cleaning equipment. In 2017, Metinvest plans to build a desulphurization system and install bag filters on the first building of the Sinter Plant. After the reconstruction, the Sinter Plant will meet the best European and international emission standards – max 30 mg/m3.
KYIV. MAY 10 (Interfax-Ukraine) – European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn has said Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo may qualify for the visa-free regime with the EU in 2016.
There still needs to be a political decision, but Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo have already met the necessary criteria, Hahn told Radio Liberty Europe/Radio Liberty.
The commissioner said that Ukraine has fulfilled its obligations, which gives its citizens the right to the visa-free entry into the European Union, however Ukraine still has a long way to go, not only to adopt the necessary legislation on the association with the EU, but also to implement it.
Hahn said he was well aware of the challenges which Ukraine is facing – the continued armed conflict, half a million displaced persons and serious economic problems.
On April 20, the European Commission offered the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to cancel visas for Ukrainian citizens.
The same day, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said he was sure that European Union would grant free visa regime for Ukrainians already within several months.
KYIV. May 10 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Sales of new passenger cars in Ukraine in April 2016 increased by 72% compared to the same month in 2015, to 5,630 units, which allowed this market segment in January-April to grow by 56%, to almost 18,000 cars, reports AUTO-Consulting.
According to analysts, car sales in April compared to March of the current year rose by 15%.
At the same time, AUTO-Consulting notes that not all the dealer networks in April recorded a surge of interest on the part of buyers – everything depended on the range and attractive pricing policy.
Leadership in the market in April was kept by Toyota, which for the first time over the past few years was able to overcome the mark of 800 cars sold per month and occupied 14% of the market.
Volkswagen ranked second in April, a Jetta model accounted for almost half of the sales. Volkswagen sales increased by 2.3 times from March, to 625 units, while the share in total car sales rose to 11.1% compared to 5.56% in March.
Renault ranked third and increased sales by 4.5%, to 534 cars, while the share compared to March slightly fell to 9.48%.
KYIV. May 10 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Capital investment in residential real estate in Kyiv under transactions carried out by Blagovist and Park Lane real estate agencies (both based in Kyiv), part of First Realty Group, in April 2016 increased by 24% compared to March and amounted to $23.784 million, while the number of purchase and sales transactions rose by 1.4%.
Blagovist said, with reference to its CEO Halyna Melnykova, 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.
“We observe a gradual increase in the number of transactions and the volume of market capitalization. This is due to the fact that the current market conditions are favorable for both sellers and buyers. First of all, this is facilitated by the stability of prices. Price correction took place in 2015, and the cost of facilities remains almost unchanged since the beginning of this year. According to our forecast, the situation will not change significantly in the short term,” the expert said.
According to the report, in the total number of First Realty Group transactions in April 2016 the share of deals in the price range of up to $50,000 was 27%. The largest demand was fixed for one- and two-room apartments in Darnytsky, Desniansky, Sviatoshynsky, Pechersky and Shevchenkivsky districts in Kyiv.
