Japan Rating and Investment Information, Inc. (R&I) has upgraded Ukraine’s foreign currency issuer rating from B to B+, rating outlook is stable.
“When fiscal consolidation efforts to date and enhanced resilience to external shocks are also taken into account, economic and fiscal conditions are expected to recover in 2021 and beyond,” R&I said in a Thursday press release.
R&I said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial support for Ukraine, together with loans from the World Bank and the European Union (EU), will help stabilize the government’s funding, which R&I views favorably.
R&I believes that the improved political and social stability under the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelensky will allow the government to focus on rebuilding the economy.
R&I said that among other positive moments is that foreign reserves are on the rise, standing at $28.8 billion as of end-July 2020, which covers 4.9 months of imports. Gross external debt is declining as a percentage of GDP. As of end-March 2020, the ratio was 75.8%. With external debt maturing within one year falling to 29.3% of GDP, the short-term external debt to foreign reserves ratio declined to around 1.6x from more than 2x seen until the previous year.
There is little concern over the government’s foreign currency liquidity, R&I said.
The banking sector has improved profitability. Supported by growth in deposits, the sector also maintains stability on the liquidity front.
“R&I will follow their [government and National Bank of Ukraine’s] efforts to ensure financial stability, as the impact of the coronavirus is anticipated to emerge going forward,” the agency said.
In R&I’s view, containing infections, reinforcing the healthcare system and rebuilding the economy are top priorities for the government’s fiscal policy.
Myronivsky Hliboproduct (MHP), one of the largest agricultural holdings in Ukraine, is working on a carbon dioxide plant project, deputy chairman of the board Oleksandr Dombrovsky has said when signing a memorandum of partnership between the agricultural holding and Organic Ukraine.
“This is an innovative project, I can’t tell you much. We are now doing a very professional feasibility study, considering various options. Today it is too early to say that we are ready for this project. We are working on it,” he said.
Dombrovsky clarified that the plant is being designed both for the needs of MHP itself, and for the domestic market and export. According to him, today about 70% of carbonic acid in the domestic market is imported, mainly from Poland and Hungary.
He also said that MHP, which has already built two of the world’s largest biogas complexes for processing poultry manure, has another ready-made similar project and a permit for its construction.
“But we are thinking to start or not to start. And if to start, then when, given that the “green” industry in Ukraine has not been paid money at all for six months,” Dombrovsky explained.
He stressed that investments in biogas are significantly higher than in solar energy, and range from EUR3 million to EUR3.5 million per 1 MWh of capacity.
The expert noted that the agricultural holding is also working on other innovative projects, in particular, on “green” hydrogen.
BIOGAS, CARBONIC ACID, GREEN POWER, INDUSTRY, INVESTMENT, MHP
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has revised approaches to calculating foreign direct investment (FDI), in particular, reevaluated the cost of FDI, which was previously calculated in foreign currency, to the hryvnia equivalent, the NBU press service said on Friday.
According to the report, the National Bank also began to consider reserves, additional capital, retained earnings and damage to the application to the charter capital of enterprises with FDI.
In addition, the regulator changed the approach to accounting for negative capital indicators in companies with FDI, in particular for such enterprises, the NBU began to use zero values in calculations.
As a result of the new calculations, FDI in Ukraine in 2019 increased by 5.1%, to $51.4 billion, and investment from Ukraine decreased 56.5%, to $3.5 billion.
“After the recalculation, FDI volumes generally increased. For example, in 2019, FDI volumes increased by about $2 billion only due to significant profits while the business environment was favorable. Last year’s appreciation of the exchange rate also contributed to an increase in the FDI volumes in U.S. dollar terms,” Director of the Statistics and Reporting Department Yuriy Polovnev said.
He said that the recalculation of FDI will not affect the balance of payments.
Capital investment in Ukraine in January-March this year fell by 35.5% after growing by 21.2% in the fourth quarter of last year, the State Statistics Service said on Tuesday. According to the State Statistics Service, in the first quarter of this year, UAH 76.914 billion of capital investment was disbursed (excluding the temporarily occupied Crimea, Sevastopol and the territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions).
Among the regions, a significant decrease in capital investment in January-March 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 was recorded in Kherson (by 75.4%), Ivano-Frankivsk (by 49.5%) and Zakarpattia (by 49.2%) regions.
Among the industries, capital investment growth in the first quarter of this year was recorded in the provision of other types of services – by 51.4%, telecommunications – by 41.4% and IT and telecom – by 8.7%.
At the same time, in the field of art, sports, entertainment and recreation, the drop in investment amounted to 79.1%, aviation – 77.3%, catering – 74.2%, scientific achievements and developments – 73.2% and forestry – 72%.
The own funds of enterprises and organizations remained the main source of financing for capital investment, thanks to which 73.2% of the total volume of all investments was made.
A significant share of capital investments was made in machinery, equipment and vehicles – 41.7%, buildings and structures – 49.3% of all investments.
Capital investment in Ukraine in January-March this year fell by 35.5% after growing by 21.2% in the fourth quarter of last year, the State Statistics Service said on Tuesday.
According to the State Statistics Service, in the first quarter of this year, UAH 76.914 billion of capital investment was disbursed (excluding the temporarily occupied Crimea, Sevastopol and the territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions).
The Bila Tserkva Industrial Park, a project of the UFuture Holding owned by businessman Vasyl Khmelnytsky, according to the approved development plan, intends to raise $250 million of investment and create more than 30 new enterprises by 2026, the company has said in a press release.
“According to our estimates, by 2026 [in the territory of two industrial parks Bila Tserkva 1 and Bila Tserkva 2] should be created more than 4,000 jobs, built 235,000 sq. m of industrial real estate, including production and logistics facilities on the territory of two industrial parks. The total investments volume should reach $250 million,” the company’s press service said, citing Director of the industrial park Volodymyr Khmurych.
The investments will be routed to construction of new commercial buildings, purchase of new production and logistics equipment, outfit of existing facilities, business processes automatization and certification, R&D, as wells as energy-saving projects and IT projects.
Among other things, Khmurych said that o manufacture of high value-added products and their components qualified specialists are needed.
“There are more than dozen educational institutions, including eight technical and vocational schools, and five higher education institutions and their branches in Bila Tserkva. We cooperate with all of them and believe that skilled labor market proximity is one of the competitive advantages of the industrial parks,” Head of Business Development of Industrial Park Management LLC (IPM) Andriy Ropitsky said.
The company said in the press release that the IPM has won bid for management company of Bila Tserkva 1 and Bila Tserkva 2 Industrial Parks. On May 06, 2020, the cooperation agreements were signed between the management company and industrial parks.
According to the terms of the contracts, the managing company ensures implementation of the development strategies and business plans of the industrial parks, attracts residents, carries out marketing programs, obtains permissions and approvals from state and local authorities related to industrial park and residents utilities and facilities design and construction.
“Many large manufacturing companies are facing supply chain shocks and production disruptions. In a search for a better balance between globalization and the necessary degree of independence, these companies will be choosing localization of production at the national or regional levels. We can offer best conditions for the localization of production in our industrial parks. The management company will help the industrial park in attracting foreign companies to the parks,” Khmurych said.
The total area of Bila Tserkva industrial park is more than 70 hectares. According to the company’s press service, at the beginning of 2020, six companies were residents of the industrial park. The first project was Plank Electrotechnic LLC electrical accessories factory.
Industrial Park Management LLC was founded in 2016, specializing in industrial real estate. During the years of operations 19.4 ha of land was sold and passed on for construction, while about 16,400 square meters of industrial and warehouse real estate is commissioned and under construction. Electric, gas, and water supply of the large infrastructure facilities in Kyiv and Kyiv region was completed.
