The German-Ukrainian Fund (GUF) jointly with financial partners – OTP Leasing, Oschadbank and Ukrgasbank – has started implementing the FinancEast program to finance investment projects of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that GUF signed agreements with OTP Leasing, Oschadbank and Ukrgasbank under the program in Kyiv on Thursday.
To implement the FinancEast program, the European Union provided Ukraine with a grant of EUR 9.5 million through the German development bank KfW. Grant resources will be provided to SME in the form of compensation up to 50% of the cost of investment projects financed by OTP Leasing, Oschadbank and Ukrgasbank. Investment projects include the purchase of agricultural machinery, equipment, vehicles, installation, construction and reconstruction of premises on a lease or loan.
“I am very glad that this program was decided to be implemented on the basis of GUF. We are impressed that this program is aimed at investments, at hryvnia lending to the regions that need financing most. And with the help of GUF we provide what our creditors require – transparency, reporting and effectiveness of these programs,” GUF Executive Director Oleh Strynzha said at a briefing.
First Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Kateryna Rozhkova said that the NBU is taking a number of measures aimed at enhancing lending, including lending to SME, which can become a driving force for the country’s economic development. “In December, we eased the requirements for banks when lending to private entrepreneurs and new enterprises. And we hope that this will greatly facilitate not only the work of banks, but also the entrepreneurs themselves… The second point: we continue working on the development of such instruments as guarantees and compensation tools for SME together with our donors and the government,” she said.
The visa-free agreement between Ukraine, Northern Macedonia will enter into force on December 22, 2019.
“To northern Macedonia without a visa on an ongoing basis: both short and long-term (immigration) visas have been cancelled!” said State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Zayats on his Twitter page.
The agreement provides for visa-free travel with biometric passports for a short stay (up to 90 days during 180 days), cancellation of long-term visas for stays of more than 90 days for the purpose of employment, study, family reunion and/or immigration.
In addition, according to the agreement, it is possible to apply for other categories of long-term visas free of charge.
Three companies from Qatar and Ukraine have announced that they will participate in a competition for concession of the Olvia stevedoring company, according to a posting on the website of the Infrastructure Ministry. According to the report, two of the three companies are prequalified to participate in the next stage. “As for the third, the tender committee has not yet made a decision, since the application was submitted on the last day,” the ministry said. Tender proposals for participation in the tender were submitted by QTerminals company (Qatar) and associations of Peters Maritime Agency LLC and Protti-Gasoline LLC (both from Mykolaiv).
Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krykliy said that $66 million of investments and at least $3 million of government investments over the next 35 years are expected from the implementation of the concession project in the Olvia stevedore, as well as $3 million of annual concession payments.
The next stage, during which the competitive bods of the participants will be evaluated and the winner determined, will be held on January 21, 2020.
As reported, four companies will participate in the Kherson seaport concession tender.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is convinced of the need for joint development of transport capabilities with Azerbaijan, the presidential press service said.
“We should make full use of the unique transit potential of our countries and develop the appropriate infrastructure. We agreed to intensify cooperation in international aviation, road and railway transportation,” he said at a joint press briefing with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Baku.
In addition, the parties agreed to hold a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission of Ukraine and Azerbaijan in Kyiv in January. Zelensky noted that he expects “specific cases after this meeting, investments with very specific terms” following this meeting.
Special attention was paid to joint projects in the space and aviation sectors, in particular in aircraft construction.
Azerbaijan’s leader, in turn, called the negotiations fruitful and noted that Azerbaijani businessmen show a significant interest in cooperation with Ukraine, but much depends on the results of the intergovernmental commission.
AZERBAIJAN, COOPERATION, INTERNATIONALTRANSPORTATION, UKRAINE
On December 17, 2019 the Trade House of Ukraine will be opened in Azerbaijan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his official visit to Baku.
“I remind you that the Trade House of Azerbaijan has been successfully operating in Kyiv since 2018, and today, the Trade House of Ukraine will open in Azerbaijan,” he said during a joint press statement with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
The Trading House of Azerbaijan in Ukraine opened in June 2018.
Milk production in Ukraine in January-November 2019 decreased by 3.7% compared to the same period in 2018, to 9.08 million tonnes. According to the State Statistics Service, in January-November 2019, farmers produced 3.05 million tonnes of meat (live weight), which is 5.8% more than in the same period of 2018.
Egg production grew by 3.5%, to 15.51 billion units.
