Business news from Ukraine

Ukrainian insurers increased advertising spending by a third in first half of year

The expenses of Ukrainian insurance companies on advertising and marketing in January-June 2022 increased by 29.9% compared to the same period a year earlier (UAH 38.8 million), according to the website of the National Bank of Ukraine.
In addition, administrative expenses for the reporting period amounted to UAH 2.568 billion, which is 13.1% less than in 6 months-2021, distribution costs amounted to UAH 951.8 million (+8.2%).
The cost of concluding and prolonging insurance contracts amounted to UAH 5.041 billion (-8.7%). Including expenses on agency fees decreased by 10.3% – to UAH 4.682 billion.
The cost of concluding and prolonging reinsurance contracts decreased by 36.9%, to UAH 27.5 million, including fees for brokers, by 39.6%, to UAH 25.1 million, while non-resident brokers increased by 20. 7% – up to UAH 12.8 million.
According to the regulator, over this period, expenses for the settlement of insured events decreased by 20.8% – to UAH 156.5 million. At the same time, the cost of paying for the services of appraisers decreased by 27.7%, to UAH 44.1 million.
Assistance costs decreased by 22.7% and amounted to UAH 80.9 million. At the same time, payment for the services of a non-resident assistance increased by 2 times – up to UAH 4.1 million.
It is also reported that the cost of insurers to conduct court cases for 6 months. 2022 amounted to UAH 10 million against UAH 9.9 million for the same period a year earlier.
As reported, Ukrainian insurance companies in January-September 2022 collected net premiums in the amount of UAH 17.134 billion, which is 27% less than in the same period in 2021 (UAH 23.480 billion). At the same time, the volume of gross insurance premiums amounted to UAH 17.619 billion (-28.9%). Including premiums received from individuals amounted to UAH 3.360 billion, from reinsurers – UAH 2.228 billion.
In January-June, insurers paid UAH 5.835 billion of net insurance payments (31.8% less). The level of net payments decreased from 36.4% to 34.1%. Gross insurance payments decreased by 31.8% to UAH 5.939 billion. The level of gross payments decreased from 35.1% to 33.7%.
The total number of insurance companies in Ukraine as of June 30, 2022 was 142 (6 months-2021 – 181), of which 13 (19) are “life insurance companies”. At the same time, the NBU noted that for 6 months. 2022 reports were submitted by 13 insurance companies.

, ,

GLOBAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPENDING TO INCREASE BY NEARLY 5% IN 2022

Global spending on information technology (IT) in 2022 will increase by 4.4% and exceed $4.4 trillion, research company Gartner Inc predicts.
In 2021, they increased by 9.5% to $4.26 trillion.
“This has been one of the busiest years for CIOs ever,” said John-David Lovelock, vice president of research at Gartner. their time and attention.”
However, CIOs are ramping up investments, unlike what happened in early 2020, he added.
Gartner estimates that the enterprise software sector will show the fastest recovery both this year (up 9.8%) and in 2023 (up 11.8%).
Overall, IT spending is expected to rise 5.5% next year to $4.67 trillion.

,

UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT ENLARGES DEFENSE SPENDING WITH 1.7-BLN-POUND LOAN FROM UK

Ukraine’s spending on the development and procurement of weapons and military hardware in 2022 has been increased by UAH 67.57 billion with UK loans totaling 1.7 billion and aimed at bolstering capacities of the Ukrainian Navy.
The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada adopted the respective bill by 342 votes on Tuesday.
The bill enlarges this year’s budget expenditures from UAH 1,525.930 trillion to UAH 1,593.5 trillion with the special fund’s growth to UAH 221.11 billion.
Meanwhile, the budget deficit ceiling was raised from UAH 188.8 billion to UAH 256.36 billion, including UAH 96.1 billion for the special fund.
In addition, the budget no longer has restrictions at the amount of 3% of the planned revenue for the provision of state guarantees, as well as restrictions at the amount of UAH 10 billion and UAH 20 billion, respectively, for the provision of portfolio guarantees and loan guarantees, in order to increase the national defense capacity.
The bill limits road fund expenditures. “The money will be primarily spent on repaying the state debt, defense, and the development and maintenance of roads,” the Servant of the People faction said in comment on the bill.
An explanatory note says that Ukraine will be implementing state investment projects to purchase two minesweepers from British suppliers, to deliver and service these minesweepers, to ensure the joint construction of eight missile craft, and to deliver and install weapons on the available ships. It is also planned to jointly build a frigate and to receive advisory and technical support for the construction of naval infrastructure, including the delivery of equipment.
At the end of January, the Verkhovna Rada ratified a framework intergovernmental agreement on loan funding of the development of the Ukrainian Navy. The agreement was signed in London on November 12, 2021, to envisage allocations for the construction of eight missile craft, the procurement of two minesweepers from the UK, and the opening of two naval bases in Ukraine.

, , , ,