Based on the results of the analysis of export operations with agricultural products, BES analysts found that over 9 months, risky enterprises exported grain of unknown origin for UAH 133.9 billion. This is more than 20% of the total amount.
Currently, the Bureau of Economic Security has submitted its proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to minimize risks in this sector of the economy.
One of the most common methods of “black” grain exports is the use of risky enterprises. They are set up in advance to export unaccounted-for grain purchased for cash.
In other words, farmers grow grain and sell it for cash to companies that are usually registered to front companies and do not engage in regular business activities.
These companies do not submit documents on the origin of the grain or declare fictitious producers in their customs declarations.
After the grain leaves Ukraine, it is resold several times and then legally reaches the final buyer. As a result, foreign currency earnings do not return to Ukraine, and the budget does not receive any revenues, as the exporting companies are fictitious.
Usually, the final buyer of grain is a non-resident company that transfers the money for the goods to another non-resident company related to a Ukrainian exporter.
There is also a scheme in which foreign currency is transferred to the current accounts of a non-resident, who then buys the goods, for example, in China and imports them to Ukraine to sell them for cash and to give other companies a tax credit.
To counteract offenses in this area, employees of the Economic Security Bureau constantly analyze export operations. Based on the results of such analysis, 43 analytical products and certificates were created, and almost 4,500 orders to initiate inspection (re-inspection) of goods were sent to the State Customs Service. For example, according to the BES in Odesa region, the customs office refused to clear 75 customs declarations totaling 1.6 million tons worth more than $430 million.
As part of 22 criminal proceedings, BES detectives served notices of suspicion to 12 officials of “risky” grain exporters for committing crimes under Articles 212 and 205-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, conducted 71 searches, and sent 12 criminal proceedings to court. The courts have issued 8 indictments.
Five pilot schools will be opened in Ukraine in 2024 within the framework of the project of architectural transformation of Soviet educational institutions, the Ministry of Education and Science reports.
“Next year it is planned to open five pilot schools that have been selected for the project of architectural transformation of Soviet educational institutions. These are schools in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Krivoy Rog and Zaporizhzhya, damaged by the war. They will be working already from the fall of 2024. There will not only make a new repair, but will completely rethink the typical Soviet school spaces”, – stated in the message of the press service of the Ministry.
It is noted that new design solutions in schools will allow to effectively implement the principles of the “New Ukrainian School”, in particular, qualitatively realize the activity approach in teaching, conduct experiments, flexibly adapt classes to different learning needs.
“Also, we must do everything to make schools truly safe and inclusive. And this is more relevant than ever in times of war,” the department emphasized.
According to the report, the changes in educational institutions were led and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Ukrainian urban bureau Big City Lab, concepts were created with the participation of European architects Rebuild the Wonderful, and the creation of the concept of transformation of five pilot schools is funded by the Mariupol Reborn public organization.
ARCHITECTURE, educational institution, PROJECT, SCHOOL, TRANSFORMATION
This weekend, the first festival dedicated to the Ukrainian Winemaker’s Day was held at the River Mall in Kyiv. This event became a vivid symbol of the revival and popularization of Ukrainian winemaking. Visitors had the opportunity to enjoy wine products from all over the country, as well as learn about traditional and modern winemaking methods.
Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club, a Kyiv-based think tank, noted that the production and sale of wine products in Ukraine today is complicated primarily by significant competition from foreign wines.
“Experts Club’s information and analytical project systematically supports all producers in the country, and winemakers are no exception. According to Experts Club, imported wine already accounts for more than 70% of total sales on the Ukrainian market, while the share of Ukrainian wine is below 30%. Holding thematic festivals dedicated to winemaking could open up unique varieties of Ukrainian wine to consumers, which are in no way inferior to French or Italian wines. That is why we all need to show consumer patriotism and buy Ukrainian wine,” added Maksim Urakin.
According to Volodymyr Pechko, CEO of UKRSADVINPROM, recent years have been difficult for Ukrainian winemaking, primarily due to the war. However, thanks to the efforts of craft producers, the industry continues to develop.
“I am confident that our festival will become an annual event, as we must support Ukrainian producers and promote Ukrainian quality both in Ukraine and internationally. I sincerely congratulate all winemakers on their professional holiday and thank them for the incredible work they continue to do. I also express my gratitude to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine for its assistance in organizing this year’s event,” he said.
Natalia Blagopoluchna, Head of the Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, emphasized the uniqueness of Ukrainian craft wines.
“The diversity of our wines is the result of unique local climatic conditions and the peculiarities of the grape varieties we use. They are striking in their originality and are admirable,” said Natalia Blagopoluchna.
The festival took place on November 11-12 on the Dnipro embankment at the RIVER MALL shopping center. The organizers of the festival, the Public Union “Association of Gardeners, Winegrowers and Winemakers of Ukraine” (UKRSADVINPROM), the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, and the analytical center “Club of Experts”, presented the best winemakers of Ukraine with certificates from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
One of the highlights of the festival was a charity auction that not only raised funds to support an important cause but also demonstrated the social responsibility of the organizers and participants. The auction was hosted by TV presenter and Help for Ukraine ambassador Yevhen Koshovoy. The unique Ukrainian-made wine lots on display were the subject of competition among collectors and wine lovers. All the proceeds from the auction were donated to the Reconstruction and Development Fund of Ukraine. These funds will be used to finance the purchase of a mobile hospital to rescue the wounded. In total, the auction raised about UAH 100,000.
“I am pleased that today I had the opportunity to present these unique wines to true connoisseurs of winemaking. Also, each of those who received a collector’s bottle today can be sure that the money spent will go to a really necessary and good cause – rescuing the wounded and war-affected,” said Koshovoy.
The festival ended with an award ceremony where the winners of the Best Winery of the Festival competition were announced. It was a moment of pride for the winemakers, who were recognized for their efforts and skills. Voting for the best wine took place both with the help of a QR code and by filling out ballots. Each guest had the opportunity to express their opinion.
Three wineries became the winners based on the choice of festival visitors: Zelenytsy winery, Gigineishvili Wine House and the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. All of them received the same number of votes.
– Overall, the festival will feature the following Ukrainian wine brands:
– Zelenytsy winery;
– Gigineishvili Wine House;
– Dnipro hills (Stoic Ukrainian winery);
– WINEIDEA;
– Tiras Vaineri LLC (My Wine, Eduard Gorodetsky);
– 46 Parallel;
– Uman Winery of Igor Maksymenko;
– Father’s wine VB;
– Villa Tinta;
– Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine;
– Kulinichenko winery;
– Wines of the Silver Land;
– National Research Center “Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking named after
Gastronomic wine pairings were provided by such producers as Tsar Khlib, TM Zinka, TM Karapyshivski sausages, and others.
Festival partner Voda.ua
Thus, the Winemaker’s Day festival in Kyiv has not only become a significant event in the cultural calendar of the capital, but also made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian winemaking. It brought together winemakers, sommeliers, and wine lovers, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience, and drew attention to the Ukrainian wine industry. The organizers of the festival announced plans to hold similar events in the future, giving a new impetus to the development of this sector in our country.
day of winemaker, EXPERTS CLUB, FESTIVAL, RIVER MALL, UKRSADVINPROM, URAKIN, WINE, wine festival, WINEMAKING, БЛАГОПОЛУЧНА, ПЕЧКО
In January-October of this year, Ukrainian enterprises increased their consumption of rolled metal products by 94.51% compared to the same period last year, up to 2 million 903.5 thousand tons.
According to a press release issued by Ukrmetallurgprom, 937.5 thousand tons, or 32.29% of the domestic rolled metal consumption market, were imported during this period.
According to Ukrmetallurgprom, in January-October 2023, Ukrainian steelmakers produced 4.37 million tonnes of rolled metal products (87% compared to the same period in 2022), of which, according to the Expert Scientific Council (ESC) of UAVtormet, about 2.4 million tonnes, or 55.9%, were exported. In the same period of 2022, the share of exports was 79.7% (4 million tons with a total production of 5.02 million tons of rolled metal products).
The share of semi-finished products in export deliveries for 10 months of 2023 amounted to 43.14%, which is comparable to the same period in 2022 (44.34%). The share of flat products in export deliveries for 10 months of 2023 is almost the same as in January-October 2022 (37.02% and 37.25%, respectively); the same picture is observed for long products (19.84% in 2023 vs. 19.41% in 2022).
“In January-October 2023, the domestic market capacity amounted to 2903.5 thousand tons of rolled steel, of which 937.5 thousand tons, or 32.29%, were imported. In the same period of 2022, the domestic market capacity amounted to 1492.7 thousand tons, of which 475.7 thousand tons, or 31.87%, were imported. Thus, for 10 months of 2023, there was an increase in the domestic market capacity by 94.51% compared to January-October 2022, with a simultaneous increase in the share of the import component by 0.42%,” the press release states.
The structure of imports in January-October 2023 is still characterized by a significant dominance of flat products over long products (75.50% and 24.44%, respectively); in the same period of 2022, the dominance of flat products over long products was also significant (66.16% and 32.69%, respectively).
The main export markets for Ukrainian steel products in January-October 2023, according to the data of the ETS “UAVtormet”, are the countries of the European Union (84.1%) and the rest of Europe (7.3%).
Other European countries ranked first among metallurgical importers in 10 months of 2023 (39.9%), followed by the EU-27 (38.2%), and Asia (19.7%).
Since the beginning of the Russian aggression, Ukraine has been forced to change the geography of agricultural exports, as a result of which the share of Europe reached 59% in January-October 2023 compared to 32% in 2021, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) reported on Facebook.
According to the report, such an increase in exports of agricultural products to Europe is forced and is explained by a decrease in supplies to other regions: the share of Africa decreased to 7% from 14%, Asia – to 12% from 19%, and Southeast Asia – to 4% from 13%.
“The main reason for these changes is the blockade of Ukrainian seaports by Russian troops. The development of alternative routes, which were possible only through the territory of the EU countries, led to changes. Ukrainian farmers were forced to look for buyers of their products in Europe,” the analysts explained.
The UCAB reminded that deliveries to Africa and Asia during the war became possible only thanks to the work of the grain corridor in cooperation with the UN and Turkey, as well as the temporary grain corridor, which is currently shipping.
In 2023, the structure of exports of Ukrainian agricultural products in terms of the main export items is similar to last year’s figures: 39% were grains, 26% were vegetable oils, 4% were meat, and 2% were dairy products, eggs, and honey. At the same time, exports of oilseeds decreased to 12% compared to 16% in 2022, while exports of oilcake increased to 6% from 5% during the year. The permission to supply sugar to foreign markets allowed producers to increase its share in agricultural exports to 3% over the year.
In pre-war 2021, the structure of Ukraine’s agricultural exports was as follows: cereals – 45%, vegetable oils – 26%, oilseeds – 9%, meals – 6%, meat – 3%, and tobacco products – 2%.
“The only way to resume exports to Ukraine’s traditional markets is to ensure the safety of sea export routes and increase the volume of shipments through this channel,” the UCAB summarized.
In January-September 2023, ALC Insurance Company ARX Life (ARX Life, Kyiv) collected insurance premiums in the amount of UAH 234.7 million, which is 18.71% more than in the same period of 2022, according to the website of RA Standard Rating.
According to the RA’s information on updating the company’s credit rating/financial strength (reliability) rating at uaAAAA according to the national scale, the volume of payments and reimbursements made by the insurer for the first nine months of 2023 increased by 31% to UAH 49.426 million compared to the same period in 2022. Thus, the insurer’s claims ratio increased by 1.97 p.p. to 21.06%.
The insurer’s acquisition expenses for the first nine months of 2023 increased by 5.15% compared to the same period in 2022 – up to UAH 117.201 million.
According to the results of January-September, the company received a net profit of UAH 53.214 million, which is 3.09 times more than the profit received in the first nine months of 2022.
As of September 30, 2023, the insurer’s assets increased by 24.42% to UAH 287.277 million, equity increased by 44.46% to UAH 172.906 million, liabilities showed an increase of 2.86% to UAH 114.371 million, cash and cash equivalents decreased by 30.90% to UAH 45.745 million.
Thus, as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2023, the company had a very high level of capitalization (151.18%) and a sufficient level of coverage of its liabilities by cash and cash equivalents (40.00%).
At the same time, the RA notes that as of October 1, 2023, the insurer made financial investments in the amount of UAH 216.102 million, which consisted of government bonds (81.18%), government bonds (9.57%) and deposits in banks (9.25%).
ARX Life, like ARX, is part of the international insurance holding Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. ARX Life is among the top 10 companies in the life insurance market in Ukraine.
