The EU Council has finally approved a financial aid package for Ukraine, including an exceptional macro-financial assistance (MFA) loan of up to EUR35 billion under the G7’s Emergency Revenue Assistance (ERA) initiative, which provides for up to USD50 billion to be repaid with proceeds from frozen Russian assets.
According to a post on the social network X of Hungary, which holds the EU presidency, a credit cooperation mechanism was also approved to help Ukraine repay loans of up to EUR45 billion (about $50 billion) provided by the EU and G7 partners under this initiative.
Earlier it was reported that the terms of the new MFA will be tied to the terms of the Ukraine Facility, and its disbursement is scheduled to begin by the end of this year.
The day before, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the US is very close to finalizing the US part of the ERA loan. “We are 99% ready,” she said. According to her, the United States is still waiting for guarantees from the European Union to introduce a longer-term sanctions regime to ensure that the profits from Russian assets remain available. Currently, the EU sanctions regime requires a unanimous extension every six months, and its extension to three years is being blocked by Hungary.
According to German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, with such funding from the United States, the European Union’s support will amount to “approximately EUR18 billion,” which is equivalent to about $20 billion, although the EU has approved a loan under the ERA of up to EUR35 billion as a safety net.
On October 22, the United Kingdom announced that it was providing Ukraine with a GBP2.26 billion (almost $3 billion at current exchange rates) military loan to purchase the necessary military equipment under the ERA.
Back in June, immediately after the G7 decision on the ERA initiative, Canada announced the allocation of CAD5 billion ($3.6 billion at the current exchange rate) under the initiative.
The IMF, in its updated EFF Extended Fund Facility program following the fifth review, indicated that if the war ends at the end of 2025, Ukraine will need $33.1 billion of the $50 billion to support its budget: $19.1 billion next year, $9.2 billion in 2026, and $4.9 billion in 2027.
In a negative scenario, if the war continues until mid-2026, Ukraine’s budget will need the full $50 billion to cover the deficit.
China has approved a list of investment projects worth a total of 200 billion yuan ($28 billion) planned for next year, a spokesman for China’s State Committee for Development and Reform told Xinhua news agency.
He said there are 647 projects on the list, which covers such areas as construction of urban underground pipelines, programs to support the needy through employment, strengthening emergency water reservoirs, environmental protection and restoration, transportation infrastructure, key public infrastructure including educational, medical and cultural institutions, and key agricultural storage facilities.
The department intends to promote the launch and implementation of the projects as soon as possible and make efforts to make practical progress in their implementation as early as this year, so as to provide strong support for economic growth in the fourth quarter.
In addition, a representative of the state committee noted that there is a strong enough foundation to achieve the country’s 2024 economic growth targets of about 5%.
As reported, China’s GDP grew by 4.8% in January-September. Last year, the economy grew by 5.2%.
The National Association of Extractive Industries of Ukraine, Ukrmetallurgprom, the Ukrainian Association of Ferroalloy Producers (UkrFA), the All-Ukrainian Union of Construction Materials Producers, and Ukrcement ask President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to instruct the ministries to promptly resume booking employees through the Diia portal.
“We understand and share the president’s desire to put things in order with the booking of workers. However, against the backdrop of questionable decisions by local authorities, the relevant ministries have also completely suspended the booking process,” the letter, which was seen by Interfax-Ukraine, reads.
Its authors recognize that the current reservation procedure is not perfect and contains certain flaws that allow companies that are not in fact critical enterprises to be granted the status of critical enterprises. However, in the associations’ opinion, it is primarily a matter of the possibility of obtaining such a status by decision of local state (military) administrations.
At the same time, the letter states, following a meeting held in early October and the Cabinet of Ministers’ decision to audit the decisions made on reservations, some ministries also suspended the reservation process, although it was declared that this decision did not apply to them. According to the associations, these ministries have completely suspended the processes of confirming the status of critical enterprises and booking employees for truly important enterprises that have already received this status from the relevant ministry. In addition, the possibility of booking employees through the Diia portal has been suspended until November 15.
“We are confident that your instructions were aimed at identifying risks and shortcomings for their further elimination, but were not intended to stop all processes of booking personnel for truly critical enterprises, which could completely stop the economy and lead to catastrophic consequences,” the letter says.
As reported, after the government’s protocol decision of October 8 to audit decisions on recognizing enterprises as critical to the economy, the booking process was effectively paralyzed, which caused protests from many business associations.
On October 22, the government introduced the possibility of repeated audits of companies’ compliance with the criteria of critical importance “if necessary.” The document stipulates that these inspections are to be conducted by the same authorities that initially granted the companies the status of critical. The result of such an audit may be that the company does not meet the criteria of a critical enterprise and that its status is revoked. The authorities must provide a copy of the decision based on the results of the re-inspection to the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Defense (the SBU, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the intelligence agency of the Ministry of Defense) and the Ministry of Digital Transformation within one day.
employee, reservations, UKRCEMENT, UKRMETALLURGPROM, ZELENSKY, УкрФА
Ukrainian State Postal Service Enterprise (USPS) “Ukrposhta” announced on October 23 its intention to conclude a contract with IC “European Insurance Alliance” (both – Kiev) for services of compulsory insurance of civil liability of owners of motor vehicles (OSAGO).
As reported in the system of electronic public procurement “Prozorro”, the expected cost of the service amounted to UAH 1.162 million, the company’s price offer – UAH 345,105 thousand.
The tender was also attended by insurance companies “Guardian” with an offer of UAH 350.799 thousand, “Inter-Policy” – UAH 350.8 thousand, “Kraina” – UAH 553.8 thousand, “Euroins Ukraine” – UAH 569.9 thousand.
The Committee on Legal Policy recommends that the Verkhovna Rada adopt the draft law (No. 9235) on certain issues of disclosure of banking secrecy and measures to establish custody of the property of a missing person, the press service of the Ukrainian parliament’s apparatus reports.
The draft law proposes to amend the Civil Code and the laws “On Notaries”, “On Banks and Banking” and “On the Legal Status of Persons Missing in Special Circumstances”.
The draft law, in particular, defines the procedure for notaries to establish guardianship over the property of an individual who has been declared missing or a person who has gone missing under special circumstances. The draft law expands the list of persons to whom banks may disclose information constituting bank secrecy. In particular, it provides for its disclosure at the request of notaries to perform a notarial act to take measures to establish guardianship over the property of an individual who has been declared missing or a person who has gone missing under special circumstances.
The adoption of the draft law will allow family members of an individual who has been declared missing or missing under special circumstances to receive a notarized certificate of guardianship over the property of such persons. The law will also ensure the protection of the rights and interests of Ukraine in foreign jurisdictions in cases related to compensation for damage caused as a result of an international armed conflict in the country.
On May 23, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading a draft law amending certain laws on certain issues of disclosure of banking secrecy.
OKKO Group has begun construction of the all-season mountain resort GORO Mountain Resort at the foot of the Vysokyi Verkh mountain range at an altitude of 650 m above sea level in Lviv region, the group’s website reported on Wednesday.
The total investment in the recreation project is estimated at $1.5 billion. OKKO Group plans to invest $500 million using its own and credit funds, and another $1 billion is planned to be raised from other investors.
The total area of GORO Mountain Resort will be almost 1200 hectares, of which 360 hectares are planned for mountain and ski infrastructure, and more than 800 hectares for the development of hotel, commercial and recreational facilities.
Over the next 15 years, it is planned to build 41 75 km long ski runs with 342 hectares of snow cover, 17.5 km of ski lifts, including two modern gondola lifts and 11 chair lifts, as well as Welcome and Mountain centers.
The construction of the first stage of GORO with a total area of 127 hectares has already begun 5 km from Slavske village and is expected to be completed in 2028-2029. It will include 10 ski slopes with a length of 13 km, five hotel complexes with 1100+ rooms, along with recreational infrastructure with spa areas, swimming pools, restaurants, children’s and business areas.
“We see the future, even despite the challenges of war, and understand the importance of such ambitious projects for the socio-economic development of the Lviv region. The new mountain recreational project should become a magnet for Ukrainian and foreign tourists and potential investors, putting a modern mountain location on the tourist map of Europe,” said Vasyl Danyliak, CEO of OKKO.
OKKO Group in GORO Mountain Resort acts as the sole owner, major investor, master developer, developer and operator to ensure the harmonious development and holistic concept of the all-season recreational project.
OKKO Group has engaged world-class Austrian experts to create an international format: PKF Hospitality (investment analysis and concept), ILF Group (master plan and ski infrastructure) and Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group (design of lifts and cable cars). GORO Development, an investment and development company, is engaged in the development and construction of real estate on the territory of GORO Mountain Resort, and a single operator will manage the complex.
OKKO Group unites more than 10 diversified businesses in the fields of production, trade, construction, insurance, maintenance and other services. The flagship company of the group is Galnaftogaz, which operates one of the largest filling stations in Ukraine under the OKKO brand, with about 400 filling stations.
The group’s founder and ultimate beneficiary is Vitaliy Antonov.
