Insurance companies of Ukraine in 2020 paid profit tax to the state and local budgets in the amount of UAH 1.674 billion, which is UAH 334 million (24.5%) more than in the same period in 2019, and 51, 5% more than in 2018, Oleksandr Zaletov, the vice president of the League of Insurance Organizations of Ukraine (LIOU), has said.
According to him, as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant trend in 2020 was the revision of business strategies for almost all insurance companies without exception. The drop in sales for a number of types of insurance (Green Card, tourism, KASKO) encouraged insurers and insurance intermediaries to digitalize. To one degree or another, distance sales and settlement using Internet technologies have become the main strategic objectives of the digitalization of the Ukrainian insurance market. In fact, an indicator of the competitiveness and investment attractiveness of the insurer was the ability to remotely conclude or renegotiate an insurance contract, amend it, and provide documents to the insurer confirming the insured event.
According to Zaletov, unfortunately, the legal framework and technologies for remote servicing of insurance companies’ clients lag significantly behind the needs and need further reform. In addition, on the way of increasing the customer focus of insurers, the tasks of improving the legislative regulation of issues aimed at protecting the rights of consumers of insurance services and countering their discrimination in the field of insurance are of particular importance. In this regard, it should be noted that basing an insurance rate on a characteristic that cannot be changed is contrary to the ideals of the EU and fairness.
“The terms of insurance contracts must not be excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory, for example, direct or indirect restriction of citizens’ rights on the basis of race, color, political, religious and other beliefs, gender, age, health status, disability, ethnic and social origin, property status, residence, linguistic or other characteristics,” he said.
According to Zaletov, other representatives of non-banking financial markets, primarily financial companies, lessors and pawnshops, are also steadily increasing tax payments. So in 2020 they paid profit tax in the amount of UAH 604 million to the state and local budgets, which is UAH 196 million (47.1%) more than in the same period of 2019, and 149.6% more than for 2018.
President of the European Council Charles Michel intends to visit Ukraine and Georgia in March, his spokesperson Barend Leyts said on his Twitter page.
“The President met today with the Prime Minister of Ukraine and announced that he planned to visit Ukraine and Georgia in March, to convey EU firm position on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as recovery and reforms,” Leyts wrote on Tuesday.
According to him, the parties also discussed relations with Russia.
Ukraine intends to vaccinate up to half of the population against COVID-19 this year and early next year, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“We now identify the next priority in the fight against coronavirus – vaccination. Its roadmap is designed to ensure proper and equal access to the vaccine for all residents of Ukraine. Its main task is to cover at least half of Ukraine’s population during 2021 and early 2022,” Zelensky said at the opening of the “Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses” Forum on Monday.
He said that vaccines against COVID-19 from four companies will be delivered to Ukraine.
“We have agreed to supply the vaccine from the Pfizer, Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Novavax companies to Ukraine. The first stage of vaccination will begin this month. Our doctors, the military and the National Guard will be the first to receive the vaccine,” Zelensky said.
In addition, the president said that Ukraine has taken the smart and effective steps to counter the pandemic.
“Ukraine has something to be proud of in terms of countering COVID-19… From the first day of fighting COVID-19, our actions were smart and effective,” the president added.
In particular, the President noted the effectiveness of tough quarantine.
TOP 20 countries of Ukraine’s foreign trade partners in Jan-Oct of 2020 (thousand USD).
Main trade partners of Ukraine in % from total volume (import from other countries to Ukraine) in Jan-Oct.
SSC of Ukraine
French sportswear brand Decathlon, part of the international Auchan Group, will open a new store in the Prospekt shopping and entertainment complex in the spring of 2021, expanding its network in Ukraine to three stores.
“Another bright opening of a new tenant, the French brand Decathlon, is planned in Prospekt shopping mall scheduled for the spring of 2021. This will be the first Decathlon residence on the left bank of Kyiv,” the Arricano company said in a press release.
According to the press release, the area of the new store will be about 2,000 square meters.
The first Decathlon outlet with an area of 2,500 square meters was located in phase one of Retail Park Petrivka in March 2019. The construction of the store lasted four months, the investment amounted to EUR 1 million. The second store, with an area of 3,000 square meters, was opened in November 2019 near the Lavina Mall.
In addition, Decathlon has launched an online store, and delivery is available to all regions of Ukraine. The Decathlon Drive service also operates in the store located in Berkovetska Street.
The first Decathlon store opened in 1976 in France. The brand currently has more than 1.5 stores in 56 countries. Some 99% of the products in the chain’s stores are products of their own brands.
