Ukraine in the 2021/2022 marketing year (July-June) intends to export more than 60 million tonnes of grain crops, while ensuring the throughput capacity of seaports will become an important challenge in the issue of its logistics, the Ministry of Economy said on its website, citing deputy Minister of Economy, Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka on Friday.“Even ten years ago, the issue of the throughput capacity of Ukrainian seaports caused lively discussions, but over the past five years their capacity has increased – from 49.3 million tonnes in 2016 to 81.5 million tonnes in 2021. The sea transportation sector operates without delays, while we are observing the volatility of prices for rail transportation,” the Deputy Minister said at the Global Grain Conference 2021 in Switzerland.According to him, the strategy of the Ukrainian government is aimed at developing infrastructure in the logistics industry in order to attract investors to it.Kachka specified that Ukraine is implementing a number of measures within the framework of the Agreement with the World Trade Organization on trade facilitation, such as the introduction of a Single Window mechanism for international trade, the institution of an authorized economic operator, and a joint transit regime. This will allow Ukraine to enter the list of countries with the safest and most comfortable conditions for doing business.The Trade Representative of Ukraine recalled that growth of global demand for freight transportation amid the weakening of quarantine restrictions raised rates on them to multi-year highs and increased industry revenues, which allows investing in the latest technologies, digitalization, automation, etc.As reported, the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) in November estimated export of grains, legumes and oilseeds from Ukraine in 2021/2022 MY at 68 million tonnes with a harvest of 105 million tonnes, which exceeds the forecast made by the organization in July respectively, by 6 million tonnes (9.7%) and 5 million (5%) tonnes.
Tunisia is ready to start the negotiation process on concluding an agreement on a free trade area (FTA) with Ukraine, negotiations may begin in the first quarter of 2022, Ukrainian Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia Volodymyr Khomanets has said. “Tunisia views Ukraine as a strategic partner, and this has been declared. Tunisia confirmed its readiness for the negotiation process during consultations in July this year,” Khomanets said during the presentation of the study “Evidence-based Policy Making – Economic Impact Assessments of Potential Free Trade Agreements of Ukraine,” held in Kyiv on Thursday.He noted that Tunisia seeks to diversify the geography of foreign economic activity.“They have experience of concluding FTA agreements with partners such as Turkey, Great Britain. They are somewhat disappointed in this, therefore, Ukraine is considered as a more reliable and promising trading partner,” the ambassador said.He emphasized that the FTA with Tunisia will also open up the markets of its two neighbors, Algeria and Libya, for Ukraine.Khomanets also recalled that Tunisia is part of the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean convention. Ukraine is interested in Tunisia from the point of view of opening the European market for itself, and the Tunisian side, according to him, is ready to introduce liberal rules for trade on a quota basis.As noted by Scientific Director of the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting Veronika Movchan, presenting an assessment of the potential impact of the FTA with Tunisia, grain and ferrous metals are the basis of Ukrainian exports to this country. From Tunisia, Ukraine mainly exports soles for shoes, to a lesser extent – electronics and textile clothing.According to her, modeling the introduction of the FTA with Tunisia assumes an increase in Ukrainian exports to this country by 115%, which is due to a low comparative base, and imports to Ukraine – by 53%. “Sectorally, metallurgy will mainly benefit, as well as crop production,” Movchan said.
Quotes of interbank currency market of Ukraine (UAH for $1, in 01.10.2021-39.10.2021)
The Verkhovna Rada plans to launch a nationwide targeted social program to provide Ukrainians with water through the development and reconstruction in 2022-2026 of centralized water supply and drainage systems in settlements throughout Ukraine, its total cost is estimated at UAH 57 billion. Corresponding bill No. 5723 on the nationwide target social program “Drinking Water of Ukraine” for 2022-2026 at first reading at a parliamentary meeting on Thursday was supported by 328 MPs with the required 226 votes.The existing issue of providing the inhabitants of Ukraine with high-quality drinking water is planned to be resolved through the construction, reconstruction or overhaul of water intake, water supply and treatment facilities, water supply networks and drainage systems, the construction and installation of post-treatment stations for drinking water, the creation of laboratories for monitoring the quality of drinking water and waste water.According to the annex to the document, in the territory of the country in 2022-2026 it is planned to build or reconstruct 290 water intake buildings, 280 water supply and treatment facilities, 79 post-treatment plants for drinking water, 1,100 water supply and drainage networks, as well as launch five water quality control laboratories.Financing of the program is planned from the state budget of Ukraine, including the state fund for regional development, the state fund for the development of water management and subventions for the implementation of investment projects, local budget funds, the funds of water supply and drainage enterprises, external and internal borrowings, grants from international organizations, funds from international programs, charitable contributions.”The approximate amount of funding for the program is UAH 28.59 billion, of which from the state budget – UAH 16.95 billion, from the local budget and other sources – UAH 11.64 billion. The volume of expenses required for the implementation of the program is determined annually, taking into account the possibilities of the state and local budgets in the formation of their indicators,” the appendix to the draft law reads.According to an explanatory note to the document, the implementation of the water supply program will allow consumers to receive high-quality services of centralized drainage and wastewater treatment, and industry enterprises providing services for centralized water supply and centralized drainage will receive an increase in profits from their activities.
The number of citizens’ complaints to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in July-September 2021 amounted to 29,000, which is 13.7% more than in the previous quarter (25,500), according to a report on work with complaints from consumers of financial services, published on the regulator’s website on Wednesday. At the same time, number of written complaints in the third quarter increased by 18%, to 11,340, and the number of calls to the call center – by 10%, to 17,400.Most of the complaints from consumers relate to the work of nonbank financial institutions: 8,720 written complaints and 5,750 calls to the call center.One of the main reasons for the growth in the number of applications is Law No. 1349-IX on the regulation of collection activities, which came into full force on July 14, 2021.“It clearly outlined the rights of consumers of financial services and bans on the work of debt collectors. That is why citizens began to complain more often to the National Bank about the violation by debt collectors and lenders when settling overdue debts,” the central bank said.According to the report, debt management and unethical behavior of debt collectors and credit institutions is the most common topic of both written complaints (47% of the total) and calls to the call center (19%).In addition, in their written requests, consumers asked questions about loans from nonbank financial institutions (23%), relations on compulsory types of insurance (8%), bank loans (7%).At the same time, the topical topics of calls to the call center were loans from nonbank financial institutions (14%), issues of banknotes and coins (11%), relations under bank loan agreements (7%).According to the NBU, 45% of written requests had signs of violation of the rights of consumers of financial services.Among the problematic issues in the work of nonbank financial institutions is the accrual of interest over the loan period, fraud using lost consumer documents, problematic issues with insurance companies, tough methods of collecting bad debts.Among the problematic issues identified in the work of banks are also cases of fraud with customer accounts, the imposition of additional services, tough actions to collect bad debts.
Head of the State Property Fund (SPF) of Ukraine Dmytro Sennychenko announced his resignation of his own free will.“Resignation is my personal desire and my plans,” he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.Sennychenko said that he originally planned to work in this position for about two years. According to him, he managed to achieve the main tasks set, namely to ensure the stability of the processes in the fund, to create a team, to digitalize the processes and to consolidate the improvements in laws and regulations.The SPF head said the decision to resign was not connected with the auction for the sale of Bilshovyk.Sennychenko said that after submitting the application, he had already had a meeting with the president and prime minister. According to him, his application has already been registered in the Verkhovna Rada.The SPF head said that after his resignation he intends to rest for at least two months.
