Foreign direct investment (FDI) made from domestic assets was estimated at $485 million in 2018 against $270 million in 2017, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has said in its statement on the so-called “round-trip investment” (when a resident withdraws funds that are then returned to the country in the form of foreign direct investment).
The regulator noted that this amount was 20.6% of the total FDI in Ukraine in 2018, while in 2017 the share of round-trip investment was 10.4%, and 4.1% in 2016.
The central bank added that $106 million of the amount of $485 million mentioned above will be invested in banks (compared to $54 million last year). Round-trip investment in other sectors last year was estimated at $379 million ($216 million in 2017).
In 2010-2018 the volume of residents’ assets that were withdrawn abroad and then returned to Ukraine in the form of foreign investment was estimated at $8.4 billion, or 22% of the total FDI over this period.
According to the NBU, Ukrainian businesses conducted such transactions mostly via Cyprus ($4.1 billion), the Netherlands ($1.54 billion), Switzerland ($530 million), and Austria ($480 million).
The NBU plans to publish such data on an annual basis.
Budget receipts from tourism fee in Ukraine in 2018 increased by 29.2%, to UAH 907 million, and taking into account tax payments the tourism industry raised payments by 20.7% last year, to UAH 4.2 billion, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has reported.
“This indicates an increase in the volume of domestic tourism flows and the effectiveness of implementation of the decentralization reform, namely local fiscal discipline improvement,” the agency said.
The ministry added there were also qualitative changes in the structure of foreign tourist flow to Ukraine in 2018. According to the ministry’s press release, the State Border Service recorded an increase in the number of tourists from the countries not bordering Ukraine, particularly Europe: from Spain by 68% Britain by 47.3%, Lithuania by 23.4%, Italy by 15.4%, Germany by 13.3%, and France by 9.2%.
The number of tourists from India over the past year rose by 57.4%, China by 38.8%, Japan by 38.3%, Israel by 21.7%, and the United States by 19%, while cross-border traffic, on the contrary, declined, the ministry said. According to the authority, this was achieved thanks to visa liberalization, and an increased offer of direct and low-cost flights.
National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy and companies incorporated in it tentatively paid UAH 136.5 billion of taxes and dividends to the national budget in 2018, which is 27.2% more than in 2017. According to the press service of Naftogaz, in particular, dividends were paid in the amount of UAH 29.5 billion, royalties – UAH 28.5 billion, VAT – UAH 37.4 billion, income tax – UAH 23.9 billion.
Naftogaz remains the largest taxpayer to the national budget of Ukraine. Income from the group accounted for about 15% of total national budget revenues in 2018. For comparison, the budget of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine in 2017 amounted to UAH 86.6 billion, and the amount of subsidies for consumed gas financed by the national budget is UAH 55.5 billion, the press service said.
As reported, Naftogaz and its member companies in 2017 paid UAH 107.3 billion in taxes and dividends to the national budget.
Naftogaz Ukrainy unites the largest oil and gas producing enterprises in the country. The holding is a monopolist for transit and storage of natural gas in underground storage facilities, as well as for oil transportation through the country.
The law on the national budget of Ukraine for 2019 (No. 2629-VIII) has been officially published in the Holos Ukrainy newspaper. According to the text of the law, the revenues of the national budget of Ukraine for 2019 are determined in the amount of UAH 1.026 trillion, in particular revenues of the general fund of the national budget in the amount of UAH 928.508 billion, and revenues of the special fund in the amount of UAH 97.624 billion, Appendix No. 1 to this law reads.
The expenses of the national budget of Ukraine are determined in the amount of UAH 1.112 trillion, in particular expenses of the general fund of the budget in the amount of UAH 1.006 trillion, and expenses of the special fund some UAH 106.362 billion.
Payment of loans to the national budget of Ukraine is provided in the amount of UAH 9.729 billion, in particular the repayment of loans to the general fund in the amount of UAH 8.322 billion, and to the special fund some UAH 1.406 billion.
The issue of loans from the national budget of Ukraine is determined in the amount of UAH 13.720 billion, in particular providing loans from the general fund in the amount of UAH 679.913 million, from the special fund some UAH 13.040 billion.
The ceiling of the national budget deficit is estimated at UAH 89.989 billion, in particular the ceiling deficit of the general fund at UAH 69.617 billion, and the ceiling deficit of the special fund of Ukraine’s national budget at UAH 20.372 billion, according to Appendix No. 2 to this law.
On Thursday, the Verkhovna Rada passed at second reading bill No. 8044, amending to the Budget Code of Ukraine on the implementation of medium-term budget planning, which introduced three-year budget planning. An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported that 238 deputies backed the document.
“We have been working for three years to consolidate a civilized approach to budget planning in the state. This is the main reform in the field of public finance,” Finance Minister Oksana Markarova said, commenting on this decision on the ministry’s website.
She recalled that in the pilot mode, this approach has worked successfully since 2017.
The Finance Ministry said that the adopted bill establishes the rule that state and publicly guaranteed debt cannot exceed 60% of GDP, and the national budget deficit – 3% of GDP. In addition, state guarantees will not exceed 3% of the planned revenues of the general fund of the national budget, and the maximum amount of the national budget deficit in the law on the national budget cannot be larger than the deficit in the Budget Declaration.
The finance minister said that three-year budget planning is necessary to ensure strategic priorities with a financial resource, as well as to increase the responsibility of spending units.
The budget of Kyiv for 2019 is planned at the level of UAH 53 billion, the press service of Kyiv City State Administration has reported.
“The budget of the capital for 2019 is planned at the level of UAH 53 billion,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
According to the mayor, in recent years the Kyiv authorities have managed to increase revenues to the capital budget. The budget of Kyiv for 2018 grew by almost UAH 4 billion. And this allowed realizing many necessary infrastructure projects.
This year, at the expense of the city budget, it was possible to overhaul over 800 kilometers of roads. Bicycle paths appeared in the city, it became possible to build or completely reconstruct 19 kindergartens and seven schools, to implement many other projects.
