Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

“Zaporozhogneupor” purchased an overhead crane for UAH 3 mln

Zaporozhogneupor, Ukraine’s largest refractory products manufacturer and part of Metinvest Group, has put a modern overhead crane into operation.

According to the company’s press release, the modern lifting unit manufactured in Zaporizhzhia was put into operation at the finished goods warehouse of Zaporozhogneupor’s aluminosilicate shop. After static and dynamic tests, which confirmed the full compliance of the overhead crane with all requirements, it was put into operation.

Zaporozhogneupor spent approximately UAH 3 million to purchase the new crane. It is specified that the modern crane will significantly reduce the risk of damage to finished products.

“Zaporozhogneupor is Ukraine’s largest enterprise producing high-quality refractory products and materials. The company produces chamotte, mullite, mullite-silica, mullite-corundum, periclase, periclase-chromite products, silicon carbide electric heaters, and unmolded refractory materials. The company’s products are widely used in Ukraine, as well as in the CIS, Europe, Asia and Africa.

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Import of goods in Jan-June 2023 in most important positions to previous 2022

Import of goods in Jan-June 2023 in most important positions to previous 2022

Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news

World grain harvest this year may be at level of record 2021 – forecast

The global grain harvest in 2023 could be at the level of the record-breaking 2021, FAO (the UN Food and Agriculture Organization) predicts.

According to its review, the estimate of the global harvest for this year in September compared to July (the review was not released in August) was reduced by 4 million tons. Despite this, the global harvest may be 0.9% higher than last year’s and amount to 2 billion 815 million tons, which corresponds to the record figure for 2021.

Thus, the forecast of wheat harvest was reduced by 2.2 million tons to 781.1 million tons. “It is expected that global wheat production will decrease by 2.6% compared to last year, but, nevertheless, it will be the second highest figure in the history of observations,” the review says. The largest decline was in production in Canada and the EU due to dry weather. The wheat harvest forecast in China has been lowered due to heavy rains in a number of key grain-producing regions. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in the forecast in the United States, India and Ukraine, “as indicated by the latest data provided by the governments of these countries on a more abundant harvest than previously expected.”

The forecast of feed grain harvest was lowered by 1.3 million tons to 1 billion 511 million tons, which is mainly due to a decrease in barley and oat harvests. However, this figure is 2.7% higher than last year. Thus, the estimate of barley harvest has been reduced by 2.9 million tons to 143.8 million tons (5.6% lower than last year). The oat harvest will be the lowest in 11 years – 23.1 million tons.

At the same time, corn production may reach a record high of 1 billion 215 million tons. The forecast has been raised by 3.6 million tons, mainly due to “richer than expected harvests in Brazil and Ukraine.” This will more than compensate for the lower forecast for corn harvest in the US and EU.

The FAO estimates this year’s rice harvest at 523.2 million tons. This is 500 thousand tons lower than the July forecast, but 1.1% higher than the harvest last season.

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Draft state budget provides more than UAH 12 bln for Ministry of Reconstruction and more than UAH 26 bln for State Agency for Reconstruction

The draft state budget for 2024 provides UAH 12.5 billion for the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development (MinRestore) and UAH 26.3 billion for the State Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development.

The relevant document was published by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak on his Telegram channel on Friday.

According to the draft law, the Ministry of Reconstruction is proposed to receive UAH 2.4 billion. The State Inspectorate of Architecture and Construction is proposed to receive UAH 147.8 million in 2024. The state budget provides UAH 47 million for the creation of the Urban Planning Cadastre.

The draft law provides for an increase in the authorized capital of the State Fund for Youth Housing Construction (Derzhmolodzhytlo) by UAH 23.9 million, as well as financial support in the amount of UAH 6.1 million. UAH 5.8 million was allocated to partially compensate for the interest rate on mortgage loans for young families.

UAH 82.8 million is proposed to be allocated in the state budget for the implementation of the Housing Opportunities for People’s Empowerment (HOPE) project, as well as UAH 248.4 million in the form of a subvention to local budgets.

UAH 9 billion is planned to be allocated for subventions to local budgets, of which UAH 4.5 billion is for the implementation of projects under the Ukraine Recovery Program; UAH 2.3 billion is for the implementation of projects under the Emergency Credit Program for the Recovery of Ukraine; UAH 519.5 million is for the restoration of critical infrastructure facilities under the Urban Infrastructure Development Project – 2 jointly with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

In addition, the draft state budget proposes to allocate a subvention of UAH 722 million for the extension of the third metro line in Kharkiv and UAH 549 million for the completion of the Dnipro metro.

At the same time, the draft does not include funding for the State Fund for Regional Development.

The draft state budget for 2024 also provides for funding for the State Fund for Decarbonization and Energy Efficient Transformation in the amount of UAH 759.2 million from the special fund. UAH 90.2 million is allocated for energy efficiency of public buildings.

In addition, UAH 155.4 million is earmarked for the development of the water supply and sewage system in Mykolaiv.

It is proposed to allocate UAH 23.1 million to the State Agency for Tourism Development.

Of the funds provided for in the draft state budget to finance the Recovery Agency, UAH 23 billion is intended to fulfill debt obligations on loans for the development of the public road network; UAH 3.1 billion is intended for the implementation of infrastructure recovery projects under the Support for the Rapid Recovery of Ukraine program.

As reported, earlier on Friday, the government approved the draft law “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2024”.

Multidisciplinary medical center “Leleka” plans to prolong international certificate

Multidisciplinary medical center “Leleka” plans to extend the international certificate of JCI (Joint Commission International), confirming quality standards in healthcare, said the operating director of the medical center Vadim Zukin.

“In December 2022, Leleka Multidisciplinary Medical Center provided the JCI accreditation union with confirmation of its activities and the certificate was extended for one year. In December 2023, we plan to undergo a full online verification by international auditors,” he told Interfax-Ukraine on the eve of World Patient Safety Day, which is celebrated on September 17.

According to Zukin, a big advantage of JCI is that its implementation “requires constant life according to certain standards, so directly preparing for inspections does not take much time, because we fulfill all the requirements on a daily basis.”

Commenting on the possibility of complying with JCI standards during martial law, Zukin emphasized that “JCI standards when implemented are deeply rooted in the corporate culture of the hospital, and medics even in times of war can’t imagine their activities in a different way than with compliance with JCI standards.”

“When the Obstetrics Department of Leleka Medical Center operated for several months at a public maternity hospital in 2022 for objective reasons, our management did not aim to operate there according to JCI standards. However, due to the fact that all employees of our team can no longer work in any other way, we did our best to comply with JCI standards even during the period of temporary relocation,” he said.

At the same time, Zukin does not expect the intensification of obtaining international certificates by Ukrainian clinics in the near future. At the same time, he believes that a number of large private Ukrainian clinics are ready to implement such standards.

“Such a number of hospitals with JCI accreditation, as, for example, in Israel or the UAE, in the near future in Ukraine should not be expected. But there are indeed several large private hospitals, which, I am convinced, are able to raise their level to JCI standards and get accreditation. Obviously, if there had not been a full-scale war, there would be more medical centers accredited by this prestigious system,” he said.

Zukin noted that “due to Russia’s military aggression, most private medical centers have faced significant financial problems, the solution of which requires a lot of time, resources and efforts. Nevertheless, all of them definitely continue to comply with the standards of quality and safety of hospital operations, without weakening the control of this area.”

“Obviously, we are not talking about JCI accreditation for public institutions right now. At least not in the near future. Among the reasons are economic factors, in particular, insufficient differentiation of NHIS tariffs for medical care, depending on the level of quality and safety,” he said.

Zukin noted that “the quality of medicine is not measured only by JCI standards, there are other, less popular, but serious quality control systems.”

“There is an example of other countries, such as the Czech Republic, where they took JCI standards as a basis for reforming their own national accreditation system,” he said.

Joint Commission International (USA) certification is considered the most prestigious international accreditation system for medical institutions, which aims to stimulate continuous improvement of the world’s medical organizations and their compliance with high internationally agreed requirements. The use of JCI standards implies the highest level of medical organization.

JCI accreditation is regarded as the gold standard of quality in healthcare in the world.

Currently, JCI accredited healthcare organizations in the United States and more than 85 other countries around the world. JCI standards are recognized as the highest level of medical quality and safety by the World Health Organization.

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Canada’s new ambassador Natalka Cmoc began her work in Ukraine

First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova has accepted copies of credentials from the newly appointed Canadian ambassador to Ukraine, Natalka Tsmotsi.

According to the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Dzhaparova expressed gratitude to Canada for its significant military, economic, humanitarian assistance, sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation, as well as for Canada’s active participation in the implementation of a number of Ukrainian initiatives, in particular, the Peace Formula and the international Crimean Platform.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that the continuation and increase of military support from international partners, in particular Canada, is the key to bringing Ukraine’s victory closer.

In turn, the Ambassador assured of Canada’s determination to continue to support Ukraine in its struggle for freedom, as well as in post-war reconstruction and implementation of reforms.

“The parties discussed a number of issues on the bilateral agenda and further steps to strengthen relations of friendship and special partnership between Ukraine and Canada,” the statement said.