Business news from Ukraine

MAJORITY OF UKRAINIAN MEDICAL SPECIALISTS, WHO FLED ABROAD, HAVE RETURNED TO UKRAINE

The majority of medical experts, who had fled abroad due to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have come back and continue to work, practitioners and experts in the sphere of medicine said during a roundtable discussion hosted by the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency on Thursday.
“For the moment, 98% of personnel are in place. Some of them left for western Ukraine or abroad in the first months of the war, however, today almost all of them have come back and continue to work,” Head of the Department of Cardiometabolic Diseases of the Clinic for Adults of the State Institution “Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine,” PhD in Medical Sciences Yevhen Marushko said.
“Speaking about the personnel of the Filatov Institute, almost none of our employees left. Some 99% of our personnel stay here. There is a shortage of specialists in very specific profiles as there are few of them all over the country. If specialists, whom we already lack, leave, this has a negative impact on the level of medical assistance,” ophthalmologist of the highest category, head of the department of inflammatory pathologies of the eye and microsurgical treatment of their consequences at state institution “Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine” Oleksandra Zborovska said.
In turn, Business Development Director of ADONIS medical group of companies Svitlana Lonska said that the majority of the personnel of private medical institutions have returned, while those who are abroad also plan to come back soon.
Despite the fact that a maternity hospital was destroyed during large-scale military operations in Kyiv region, the doctors did not suspend their work and had to deliver babies under emergency conditions, she stressed.
At the same time, Head of the Department of Nephrology and Renal Replacement Therapy of the National University of Health Protection, owner of the Nephrology Clinic, Professor Dmytro Ivanov noted that the doctors and senior staff, who have returned to Ukraine, thus proved the level of their reliability.
“In the first two months we lost more than 60% of doctors and around 75% nurses in Kyiv in the first two months. Almost no medical personnel remained in the districts of Ukraine where military operations were conducted. Around 90% of medical staff have returned as of today. I think this could be considered a criteria of reliability of doctors and senior staff, for example, heads of departments and chief doctors,” Ivanov said.
Chief Physician of the National Cancer Institute, PhD in Medical Sciences Andriy Beznosenko said that the patient flow significantly reduced at the National Center Institute in the first month of the war.
“We received 150 patients during the first month of the war, while last year we received 2,700 patients during the same period of time,” he said.
The expert also noted that the specialists of the National Cancer Institute do the utmost to monitor the situation with the oncology centers in the temporarily occupied territories.
“Today, Kherson, Melitopol, Mariupol oncology centers and the one in Krasnyi Luch are under occupation. They lack personnel and there are patients there. But there are no medicines for treatment and we are unable to deliver them,” Beznosenko said.

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CUSTOMS REVENUES IN JUNE INCREASED BY THIRD TO ALMOST UAH 13 BLN

Customs revenues in June increased by 33% compared to May, to UAH 12.69 billion, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, deputy head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy, said.

“The results of the work of customs in June: receipts amounted to UAH 12.69 billion. On the one hand, this is already 33%, or UAH 3.1 billion more than received in May from customs,” he said on the Telegram channel on Thursday .

Zheleznyak recalled that import exemptions were still in effect in June, which means that the June customs results indicate a gradual resumption of economic activity.

“On the other hand, such an income is only a third (32%) of what was supposed to come from customs in peacetime – the plan was UAH 34 billion,” Zheleznyak said.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE IN ISRAEL REPORTED THAT PILGRIMS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COME TO UKRAINE IN AUTUMN TO CELEBRATE ROSH HASHANAH

Due to the full-scale Russian invasion and the inability to guarantee security, pilgrims will not be able to arrive in Ukraine to celebrate the new year according to the Jewish calendar (Rosh Hashanah), the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel reports.

“Due to the Russian war in Ukraine, visitors will not be able to enter the country. Every year on the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, visitors from Israel and around the world fly to Ukraine to pray at the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav and other holy places . This year, due to the ongoing Russian war, the celebration of Rosh Hashanah has not been determined,” the Facebook post said.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk addressed the Orthodox media in Israel about a trip to Ukraine during the upcoming Jewish holidays.

“Due to fears for the lives and well-being of those coming to Ukraine and in light of the flagrant Russian war in our country, despite all efforts, we cannot guarantee the safety of pilgrims and currently do not allow tourists and visitors to enter Ukraine,” the mill said. .

He also urged to pray “for the war in Ukraine to end before Rosh Hashanah, which broke out due to flagrant and brutal Russian aggression, and pray for the victory of Ukraine.”

Every autumn, in the city of Uman, Cherkasy region, where the grave of the leader of the Bratslav Hasidim, Tzadik Nakhman, is located, Hasidic pilgrims from all over the world arrive to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

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EXPERTS INCREASE FORECAST FOR HARVEST OF GRAIN AND OILSEEDS IN UKRAINE

The Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) increased the forecast for the harvest of grain and oilseeds in Ukraine in 2022 by 4.4% compared to the May forecast – up to 69.4 million tons from 66.5 million tons, according to the UGA website on Wednesday.

At the same time, the assessment by the association of sown areas under these crops increased by 1.6% compared to forecasts in May – up to 19.1 million hectares from 18.8 million hectares.

“Ukrainian farmers, despite the difficult wartime conditions, minefields and hostilities due to the aggressive war of the Russian Federation, continue to courageously fight for the harvest so that Ukraine has enough grain and can export part of the crop to the world market. This year, Ukraine can get 69 .4 million tons of grain and oilseeds from an area of about 19.1 million hectares,” the UGA said in a statement.

At the same time, the export of grain and oilseeds from Ukraine in the 2022/2023 marketing year (MY, July-June) can reach 31.5 million tons, subject to a significant increase in the throughput capacity of border crossings on the western borders of Ukraine. Given the current throughput capacity, Ukraine can count on the export of about 25-30 million tons of crops in the 2022/2023 marketing year that has begun.

According to the results of 2021/2022 MY, it is expected that the transitional crop balances in the country will amount to about 25.9 million tons (+0.9 million tons compared to UGA forecasts in May). In 2022/2023 MY, this figure may increase to 36.6-48 million tons due to the inability to export agricultural products at the usual pace for Ukraine. In May, the association predicted transitional balances for 2022/2023 MY at the level of 31-43 million tons.

According to UGA forecasts, in 2022, a wheat harvest is expected at the level of 20.8 million tons (+8.3% compared to the organization’s May forecast); 27.3 million tons of corn (+4.6%); 6.6 million tons of barley (forecast kept); 9 million tons of sunflower (forecast kept); 2.2 million tons of soybeans (+4.7%); 1.5 million tons of rapeseed (+13.3%).

UGA also predicts the export of wheat in 2022/2023 MY at the level of 10 million tons, corn – 10 million tons, barley – 2 million tons, sunflower – 6 million tons, soybeans – 1.8 million tons, rapeseed – 1.45 million tons.

“In general, the export of grains and oilseeds in 2022/2023 MY can be expected at the indicated level, if Ukraine, under the blockade of the Black Sea ports, can double the throughput of other logistics directions, including railway crossings at the borders with the EU countries,” the association explained in message.

At the same time, the unblocking of the Black Sea ports will greatly simplify the logistics and cost of transporting grain for export, and producers will be able to make a big profit for the grown crop in accordance with the high prices for agricultural crops that are currently prevailing on the world market. “Unblocking Ukrainian ports and ensuring the safety of navigation in the Black Sea is the only way to quickly and effectively resume Ukrainian grain exports to countries in dire need. The lack and high cost of food can cause, according to UN estimates, famine in many poor countries of the world, mass protests and riots, and as a result mass migration of people from Africa and the Middle East to the EU,” the UGA summed up in the message.

As reported with reference to the data of the State Statistics Service, in 2021 Ukraine harvested a record harvest of grain and leguminous crops in the amount of 85.7 million tons, which is 32% more than in 2020. In total, 32.07 million tons of wheat (+28.9%), 41.87 million tons of corn (+38.2%) and 9.42 million tons of barley (+23.3%) were harvested.

Ukraine in 2021 also harvested 16.38 million tons of sunflower (+25% compared to 2020), 10.8 million tons of sugar beet (+18.1%), 3.5 million tons of soybeans (+24.4%), 2.92 million tons of rapeseed and 42 thousand tons of oilseed flax (an increase of 3.7 times).

The Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) is an association of producers, processors and large grain exporters who annually export about 90% of Ukrainian grain products.

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AMAZON RECEIVES PEACE PRIZE FROM UKRAINE FOR SUPPORTING THE COUNTRY

Amazon received the Ukraine Peace Prize for supporting the country during the war unleashed by Russia, the award was presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov during a meeting in Lugano (Switzerland).
“Amazon AWS has been actively supporting Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The company helped save our digital infrastructure during the war. In particular, the migration of Ukraine’s state registries and critical databases to the Amazon AWS cloud environment was critical. And from the very first days of the war, it banned the registration of new customers from Russia and Belarus,” the message on the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Digital Transformation says.
The ministry notes that Fedorov also discussed with Liam Maxwell, Director of Government Transformation at Amazon Web Services, further cooperation in the areas of digital lending and the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
“Maxwell noted that the company is ready to help with technological solutions for the digitalization of the public sector and the judicial system,” the ministry said.
Ukraine Peace Prize is an award introduced by the President of Ukraine for companies and corporations, governments, officials, world politicians who most support Ukraine and help in the fight against the Russian aggressor.
As reported, Google was the first to receive the Ukraine Peace Prize. This award was also received by Microsoft.

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IRISH PRIME MINISTER ARRIVES IN UKRAINE

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin has arrived in Kyiv to express support for the Ukrainian people, The Irish Times said.
Ireland will stand by Ukraine in the face of Russia’s “immoral and unprovoked war of terror,” Martin said ahead of his arrival in Kyiv this morning.
“The bombardment and attacks on civilians are nothing short of war crimes, and I will use my visit to express Ireland’s support for moves to hold those behind these attacks fully accountable,” Martin said.
The Prime Minister of Ireland has arrived in Kyiv, where he is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Martin will also discuss with the Ukrainian authorities how Ireland and the EU can support the current and future needs of the country.
The Irish government says that Martin will personally see the destruction due to bombing and targeted attacks on civilians during the invasion and occupation by Russian troops.
According to the statement, the prime minister “will reiterate Ireland’s full backing for continuing sanctions against Putin’s regime, for Ukraine’s path to full EU membership, as well as our commitment to work with EU colleagues to ensure the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
“The spirit and resolve of the Ukrainian people has inspired us all, and Ireland will provide every support for Ukraine’s path to full EU Membership, and continue to welcome and support civilians fleeing this war,” the prime minister said.
Martin was invited to Ukraine last month by President Zelensky.
The exact details of the visit last night were not released due to security concerns, but Martin was expected to travel to Kyiv by land from Poland.

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