Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Ukraine’s public debt has risen to new historic high

In the first half of 2023, Ukraine’s total public debt increased by 15.6% to a new all-time high: by $17.4 billion to $128.81 billion in dollar terms, and by UAH 635.0 billion to UAH 4 trillion 710.4 billion in hryvnia terms, according to the website of the Ministry of Finance.

According to the data, the direct public debt increased by 17.8% to $119.68 billion, or UAH 4 trillion 376.48 billion, and accounted for 92.9% of the total public and publicly guaranteed debt.

It is reported that the external direct debt in the first half of the year increased by 25.6%, or $16.30 billion, to $79.89 billion, while the internal direct debt increased by only 4.7%, or UAH 65.3 billion, to UAH 1 trillion 454.95 billion (equivalent to $39.79 billion).

Ukraine’s total external public debt increased by 21.8%, or by $15.61 billion, to $87.08 billion in January-June 2023, while the total internal public debt increased by 4.4%, or by UAH 64.3 billion, to UAH 1 trillion 526.2 billion.

As a result, the share of total external debt increased from 64.1% to 67.6%.

It is specified that in June, the total public debt of Ukraine increased by 2.5%: by $3.20 billion or UAH 116.93 billion, including the total external debt by 3.7%, or $3.09 billion.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the share of liabilities in euros rose to 27.70% at the end of June, in Canadian dollars to 2.55%, and in SDRs to 13.17%, while the share in US dollars fell to 26.44%, in hryvnia to 29.41%, in yen to 0.72%, and in British pounds remained at 0.02%.

The agency also clarified that 65.13% of the public debt has a fixed interest rate, while 13.17% is tied to the IMF rate, 6.95% to SOFR, 0.72% to TORF, and 3.87% to EURIBOR.

The rate for another 3.08% of the government debt is tied to the consumer price index, and 6.73% to the NBU discount rate. These are government bonds from the NBU’s portfolio. The most recent of these were securities linked to the key policy rate, which the NBU bought back as part of the budget’s emission financing.

Finally, 0.32% of the state debt has a rate linked to the Ukrainian index of rates on retail deposits, which is used in portfolio guarantee programs.

As reported, Ukraine’s public and publicly guaranteed debt in 2022 increased by $13.4 billion.

As part of the recent first review of the EFF program with Ukraine, the IMF significantly improved its forecast for public debt growth this year – from 98.3% of GDP to 88.1% of GDP, in particular by revising its estimate at the end of last year from 81.7% of GDP to 78.5% of GDP.

Insurer “VUSO” has launched updated mobile application

The insurance company “VUSO” has launched an updated version of the mobile application, with access to medical policies, adding the possibility for customers to make an independent appointment with a doctor and confirm the appointment independently, according to the insurer’s press release.

In addition, the company’s clients will now be able to quickly find detailed information about their insurance contract, as well as call an ambulance through the app.

In the future, VUSO plans to expand the app’s functionality and add other options. The application development team is already working on remote request for reimbursement, reflection and management of policies of relatives and friends, display of the whole history of applications to the insurance company.

IC “VUSO” was founded in 2001. The company holds 50 licenses: 34 – for voluntary and 16 – for compulsory types of insurance. It is represented in all regions of Ukraine. It is a member of ITSBU and UFS, a participant of Direct Loss Settlement Agreement and a member of Nuclear Insurance Pool.

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Business forum “Grain. Pigs. Meat – 2023”

On September 15, Kyiv will host the business forum “Grain. Pigs. Meat – 2023”. This is an unprecedented event that will bring together the grain business, pig farming and meat industry to overcome the consequences of the war. This is an event where the possibility of increasing the profitability of crop production will be substantiated, where real tools for obtaining added value will be presented, where an alternative to grain exports will be justified and why pig production will save the grain market of Ukraine!

The main goal of the forum “Grain. Pigs. Meat – 2023” forum is to prevent losses in crop production due to the blocking of grain exports and to create added value of more than 200% from the implementation of the intersectoral program “New Pig Production 2025”.

Also, within the framework of the business forum “Grain. Pigs. Meat – 2023” business forum, a specialized exhibition Meat Industry Expo-2023 will be held, where you will be able to present and get acquainted with modern solutions from feed production, pig keeping and breeding to meat processing and trade. The exhibition will be open throughout the day of the forum.

So, if you don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to communicate with leading experts, manufacturers and suppliers of advanced equipment, pig genetics, producers and meat processors, as well as learn about current trends, financial and technical opportunities to start a new business or scale an existing one in pig production, you should visit the business forum “Grain. Pigs. Meat – 2023”.

The forum will be held on September 15, 2023 in Kyiv, Golf Center Kyiv (20 Obolonska embankment).

The forum is organized by the Meat Industry Association, the Center for Efficiency Improvement in Livestock Production and Agro Marketing Agency.

Forum partners: Cofarming Ukraine, Eurofeed, Topigs Norsvin.

The forum is for you if you:
– Aiming to jump out of raw material production
– A grain producer who does NOT want to give grain at cost price
– You are engaged or want to engage in pig production, but do not know how
– You want to process meat or already process it, but dream of your own pig farm
– Want to scale up your existing pig business
– Looking for or providing financing
– You can share your experience and present equipment
– A bioethanol producer who wants to double profits on production waste
– Decided to expand the range of products and markets
– A supplier who wants to expand its customer base
– Planning to diversify your business
– Aiming to create added value

The main topics of the forum
– Prospects of Ukraine in the world pork market
– State and prospects of development of pig breeding and meat industry of Ukraine
– Analysis of grain market development through the prism of pig production
– Presentation of a model for replacing grain exports with exports of meat and value-added meat products
– Prevention of ASF as an incentive for the development of pig farms
– Real benefits in the “grain and meat products” chain from the implementation of the intersectoral program “New Pig Production 2025”
– Biofuels and animal husbandry: smart synergy – big profits
– Financing of pig production: available loans, grants, investments
– Investment opportunities of the New Pig Production 2025: benefits for grain producers and future pig producers
– The lowest cost of Ukrainian pigs in the world now and forever
– Feed production: an underestimated area of grain processing
– Effective technologies in pig and meat industry
– Quality, safety and certification of meat products
– Modern technologies for producers and processors of meat products
– Modern pig genetics and feeding

The conference will also include a specialized exhibition “Meat Industry Expo”

Preliminary program*.
9:00-9:30 Registration. Welcome coffee.
Permanent exhibition “Meat Industry Expo”
9:30-10:00 Opening of the conference. Greetings of the organizers and partners
10:00-12:00 Session 1: Development of the pig industry in the conditions of war. The role of the government and business efforts
12:00-12:30 Coffee break
12:30-14:00 Panel discussion “How grain producers can earn 200% on pig production”
14:00-15:00 Lunch
15:00-16:00 Round table discussion “Bioethanol and livestock or how to get 400% profit from the right synergy”
16:00-16:30 Coffee break
16:30-17:30 Discussion “New pig production = Precision pig production. Cost, profitability, profit, investments”
17:30-18:00 Summarizing the results. Closing of the conference
18:00 – 20:00 Friendly dinner, free communication, golf game

* The program is subject to change, please follow the announcements and updates on the conference website – https://meatindustry.com.ua

Registration is required at the link – https://forms.gle/ksfdAwGFnptzP3wv7

*Accommodation is not included in the participation fee and is to be provided by the participants themselves.

For participation, sponsorship, advertising, presentation, please contact the conference coordinators:

Sponsorship and participation
Agro Marketing Agency
Svyatoslav Tkachenko
+38(063)357 73 59
market@agromarketing.com.ua

Participation in the exhibition and partnership
Association of “Meat Industry”
Vladyslav Kachmar
+38(068)500 30 04
2023@meatindustry.com.ua

Interfax-Ukraine is a media partner

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Net profit of OTP Bank in Ukraine for January-June amounted to almost UAH 3 bln

Net profit of OTP Bank for January-June 2023 amounted to UAH 2 billion 854.46 million compared to net loss of UAH 783.06 million in January-June 2022, according to the unconsolidated semi-annual report of the bank.

According to it, in particular, net profit in the second quarter of this year reached UAH 1 billion 395.28 million, which is 27.1 times higher than the net profit for the same period last year.

It is indicated that net interest income for the first half of the year increased by 46.3% to UAH 4 billion 306.59 million, including in the second quarter the growth amounted to 42.5% to UAH 2 billion 154.61 million.

Meanwhile, net commission income in January-June this year increased by 35.4% to UAH 612.064 million, including in the second quarter – by 55.7% to UAH 290.32 million.

A significant contribution to the improvement of the financial result was made by the reduction of the loss from the reduction of utility in the first half of this year to UAH 314.08 million, while for the same period last year this figure amounted to UAH 3 billion 573.13 million.

Specifically, for the second quarter of 2023, the loss from utility curtailment narrowed to UAH 170.81m compared to UAH 1 billion 364.51m in the second quarter of 2022.

The bank points out that its total profit for the first half of this year reached UAH 3 billion 247.74 million against a loss of UAH 872.35 million for the first half of last year, including a total profit of UAH 1 billion 772.90 million in the second quarter-2023 against a loss of UAH 162.81 million in the second quarter-2022.

According to the report, in January-June this year, the bank’s assets grew by UAH 1.92 billion, reaching UAH 92.93 billion as of June 30.

Such growth is explained by the increase in cash and funds with the NBU from UAH 4.75 billion to UAH 9.67 billion and investments in securities – from UAH 32.85 billion to UAH 37.37 billion, while loans and advances to clients decreased from UAH 29.92 billion to UAH 23.91 billion, and debts of other banks – by UAH 1.2 billion to UAH 20.51 billion.

Customer funds of OTP Bank decreased for the first half of 2023 from UAH 77.73 billion to UAH 76.19 billion, meanwhile the bank’s capital increased from UAH 11.63 billion to UAH 14.87 billion, including retained earnings – from UAH 3.77 billion to UAH 6.62 billion.

OTP Bank, a 100% subsidiary of the Hungarian OTR Bank Plc, was the eighth among 65 Ukrainian banks in terms of total assets (UAH 103.327 billion) at the beginning of June this year. The bank has a network of 72 branches in Ukraine.

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US provides Ukraine with another $1.25bn grant

Another $1.25 billion grant from the United States arrived in Ukraine on Monday through the multi-donor World Bank Trust Fund, the Finance Ministry said.

“Irrevocable financial assistance from the United States is an extremely important element in supporting Ukraine’s state budget while it resists Russia’s full-scale aggression. The next grant will help the Ukrainian government to reimburse priority expenditures in the social and humanitarian sphere,” Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko was quoted as saying in the release.

The Finance Ministry specified that in 2023 Ukraine has already received $8.45 billion in grants of direct budgetary support from the United States, and in total, $20.4 billion in grants from the United States have been received in the state budget since the beginning of the full-scale war.

As previously stated by the Ministry of Finance, as of July 21 this year, the state budget of Ukraine received funding from international partners in the amount of $23.6 billion, compared to $32.1 billion last year, while the need for this year is about $42 billion.

Since then, the budget has also received EUR1.5bn of the sixth tranche of EU macrofinancial assistance and $1.5bn through the World Bank’s Trust Fund mechanism under the guarantees of the Japanese government.

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“NovaPay Credit” has placed second issue of interest-bearing bonds for UAH 100 mln

Credit institution NovaPay Credit LLC, a member of the non-banking financial group NovaPay, has fully placed the second issue of interest-bearing bonds – series “B” – for UAH 100 mln, according to the data on the website of the PFTS stock exchange.

According to them, the placement began on July 27, and on July 28, the exchange recorded a deal on the sale of all 100 thousand bonds at a price of UAH 999.45, which corresponds to a yield of 20.02% per annum.

As it was reported, the company made a decision to issue series “B” bonds on June 15, and on July 18 the issue and the bond prospectus were registered by the National Commission for Securities and Stock Market of Ukraine,

As in the debut issue of series “A”, the second issue is public, circulation term – three years, nominal interest rate – 20% per annum with payment at the end of the circulation term.

More detailed information about the results of the placement is not available yet, but the company called the placement of the debut issue through the stock exchange technical, stating that it plans to organize a subsequent active secondary public offering without attracting an underwriter.

The prospectus states that 20% of the raised funds are planned to be used for lending to legal entities, and 80% – to individuals.

As reported, NovaPay Credit in the second quarter placed the debut issue of three-year bonds for UAH 100 mln. The bonds were issued with one coupon, which is paid simultaneously with maturity – from April 14 to April 20, 2026, nominal yield – 20% per annum.

According to forecasts in the prospectus, the company plans to receive UAH 27.06 mln of net profit in 2023, UAH 242.23 mln in 2024, and UAH 411.66 mln in 2025.

In addition, at the end of June, the company decided to issue a third bond – series “C” – also for UAH 100 mln.

As indicated in the prospectus, last year the company’s revenue decreased by 40.6% to UAH 29.89 mln, largely due to the credit vacations introduced at the beginning of the war, and the net loss amounted to UAH 2.15 mln against net profit of UAH 24.40 mln a year earlier.

In Q12023 “NovaPay Credit” increased its authorized capital by UAH 120 mln – up to UAH 175 mln. The owner of the company with a 100% stake remains NovaPay LLC, and the beneficiaries are owners of Nova Posta group of companies Vyacheslav Klimov and Volodymyr Popereshnyuk.

In January-March 2023, the company increased its net profit by 56.9% to UAH 7.28 mln compared to the same period last year, while its revenue grew by 68.7% to UAH 12.7 mln.

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