This week, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) reduced its net sales of dollars on the interbank market to $670.41 million from $722.57 million the previous week, according to the regulator. According to the data, the central bank bought $0.49 million, while selling $670.90 million.
The official hryvnia exchange rate rose by 0.2%, or 10 kopecks, over the week, in particular, on Friday it strengthened by 8 kopecks to 40.4542 UAH/$1. On the cash market, the dollar also fell by 5 kopecks to 40.82 UAH/$1.
Since the beginning of 2024, the official hryvnia exchange rate has fallen by 6.5%, or UAH 2.45, and since the National Bank switched to a managed flexibility regime on October 3, 2023, it has fallen by 10.6%, or UAH 3.89.
According to the data published by the NBU during this period, from Monday to Wednesday, the negative balance between the volume of foreign currency purchases and sales by the population widened from $42.78 million to $45.66 million.
Overall, in June, the NBU’s net interventions amounted to $2.99 billion, compared to $3.07 billion in May and $2.28 billion in April. According to preliminary estimates of the National Bank, Ukraine’s international reserves decreased by 7.9%, or $3.4 billion, to $39 billion 033.8 million last month.
At the same time, the official hryvnia exchange rate weakened by 90 kopecks in May, from 39.6370 UAH/$1 to 40.5373 UAH/$1, gradually updating its historical lows every day in the last ten days of the month and approaching the average annual exchange rate of 40.7 UAH/$1 set in the state budget for 2024. In the cash market, the hryvnia also weakened by UAH 1.24 over the month to UAH 41.05/$1. The National Bank explained this weakening by the government’s increased spending after receiving external financing in March-April, as well as the impact of the largest package of currency restrictions for businesses since the start of the full-scale war announced on May 3.
On June 17, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has agreed with MetLife PJSC, specializing in life insurance, to expand the scope of the license for direct insurance and incoming reinsurance.
According to the regulator’s website, the company has received the right to carry out insurance in the classes of accident insurance (including industrial injury and occupational disease) and sickness insurance (including health insurance).
The message also underlines that taking into account this extension the license of PJSC “MetLife” is considered to be reissued.
According to the statements of PJSC “MetLife”, the volume of insurance premiums of the company in the specified period amounted to UAH 2,489 billion, insurance reserves – UAH 6,186 billion.
For 2023 the insurer has paid out insurance indemnities in the amount of UAH 516,6 mln.
The share of the company by the volume of insurance reserves in the life insurance market is 31,3%.
Private JSC “MetLife” is a part of the leading world corporation MetLife. The company has been operating in Ukraine since 2002. The main lines of business are accumulative life insurance, accident and critical illness insurance, corporate insurance and bancassurance.
The reference exchange rate of the hryvnia to the US dollar on the interbank foreign exchange market as of 12:00 a.m. on May 24, 2024.
Reference hryvnia to US dollar exchange rate (UAH/$) 39.8825 40.0752 0.48
Source: NBU
The National Bank of Ukraine has revoked the licenses of six non-bank financial institutions and excluded them from the State Register of Financial Organizations based on their applications, the regulator’s website reports.
Thus, due to the loss of the license to provide funds and precious metals on credit, Urgent Lending Service LLC, Simple Loans LLC, Modern Ukrainian Capital LLC, Cool Credit LLC, FC Crystal LLC were excluded from the state register with the loss of the right to provide financial factoring services and Tamga Capital LLC – provision of funds and precious metals on credit, factoring and financial leasing.
In addition, based on their own applications, the NBU approved a change in the scope of the license for the activities of the financial company LLC FC Business Orbit Group. Such financial service as financial leasing was excluded from the license, and the right to provide funds and bank metals on credit and factoring was retained. FC “KIF” LLC was excluded from the license for factoring and financial leasing. In the future, the company will have the right to provide funds and precious metals on credit.
The NBU Committee on Supervision and Regulation of Non-Banking Financial Services Markets made these decisions on May 17, 2024.
The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to apply to PJSC Insurance Company Salamandra (Kiev) a measure of influence in the form of revocation of all licenses, according to the regulator’s website.
Also, in compliance with the requirements of the law “On Insurance”, in connection with the presence of the company’s obligations under insurance (reinsurance, coinsurance) contracts on May 14, 2024 decided to appoint a temporary administration in PJSC “IC “Salamandra” and removal of the governing bodies from the management of the company.
These decisions have been taken according to the results of planned inspection, conducted in October-December 2023, during which it was established the fact of realization by IC of risk activity, threatening the interests of creditors and insurers, namely formation of insurance reserves in insufficient amount (more than 10% of their sufficient amount, determined by the legislation of Ukraine) three times during the calendar year.
The decision on application of the measure of influence came into force on May 14, 2024.
After taking this decision, the temporary administrator should immediately begin to fulfill his duties, is noted in the message.
IC “Salamandra” (formerly – “DIM Insurance”) is part of the eponymous non-banking financial group, the ultimate beneficiary and owner of which is Yuri Yavtushenko.
IC Salamandra is a member of the Motor (Transport) Insurance Bureau of Ukraine.
Net sale of dollars by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) increased this week to $533.4m from $507.8m a week earlier, according to the regulator’s data.
According to them, the central bank sold $533.6m on the interbank market and bought back $0.15m.
The official hryvnia exchange rate weakened by 37 kopecks during the week, in particular, on Friday the national currency exchange rate fell by 17 kopecks to UAH 39.7206/$$. – to 39.7206 UAH/$1.
In the cash market, the dollar also rose in price during the week: by about 12 cents to UAH 39.95/$1. – up to UAH 39.95/$1, including on Friday – by 6 kopecks.
As evidenced by the data, which the NBU managed to publish for this period, from Monday to Wednesday, the negative balance between the volume of currency purchases and sales by the population increased from $30.2 million to $56.9 million.
Last Friday, May 3, the National Bank announced the largest package of easing of currency restrictions for businesses since the beginning of the full-scale war, which provides for the abolition of all currency restrictions on imports of works and services, provides the ability of businesses to repatriate “new” dividends, provides an opportunity to transfer funds abroad on leasing and rent.
In addition, the new steps of currency liberalization provide for the easing of restrictions in terms of repayment of new foreign loans and interest on “old” foreign loans, as well as easing restrictions for the transfer of foreign currency from representative offices in favor of their parent companies.
As reported, the NBU increased its net foreign exchange interventions on the interbank market in April by 27.7% to $2.283bn, compared to $1.370bn in the same period last year.
On April 24, Ukraine received the second tranche of transitional financing in the amount of EUR1.5 billion (UAH 63.32 billion in hryvnia equivalent) under the European Union’s Ukraine Facility instrument, and the country also received UAH 2.7 billion in grants from international partners last month.
Ukraine’s international reserves in April decreased by 3.1%, or $1.4 billion – to $42 billion 399.5 million. On April 25, the NBU raised their forecast for the end of this year to $43.4 billion from $40.4 billion and to $44.3 billion from $42.1 billion – at the end of next year.
