Business news from Ukraine

1,000 UKRAINIAN COMPANIES WANT TO MOVE TO SAFE REGIONS

About 1,000 companies desire to move to safe regions, of which 300 have already moved and 60 have resumed work in new places, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
“There is a register, it contains more than 1,000 companies that have expressed a desire to relocate from temporarily occupied territories or territories where hostilities are taking place. More than 1,000 are in the register, over 300 have already relocated and, as of yesterday, about 60 have already begun work in new places,” Shmyhal said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“We have not experienced that many enterprises have moved abroad. Even among IT specialists, 97% have remained in the country,” the Prime Minister said.
He also said that the state transfers UAH 6,500 to employers for employees.
“Under eAid, in the first month, the state paid UAH 6,500 to everyone who lost their job. Now we are transferring UAH 6,500 to employers to motivate people to work. So that the employer has a base of UAH 6,500, and adds some part of the salary from itself,” Denys Shmyhal said.

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MORE THAN 20 UKRAINIAN COMPANIES JOIN EUROPEAN CLEAN HYDROGEN ALLIANCE

More than 20 Ukrainian companies have entered the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, Deputy Energy Minister for European Integration Yaroslav Demchenkov said.
“More than 20 Ukrainian companies have already joined the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance and, accordingly, the Green Hydrogen Initiative for the European Green Deal 2×40 GW of new hydrogen production capacities,” he said during the First German-Ukrainian Energy Day on Tuesday.
“Considering that the creation of 10 GW of new capacities for the production of ‘green’ hydrogen has been allocated to Ukraine, this imposes certain obligations on us,” Demchenkov noted.
According to him, already in January Ukraine will be ready to present an assessment of the potential for the development of the domestic hydrogen market, including its use in transport, as well as an assessment of the impact of this direction on the environment.
At the same time, the Deputy Minister pointed out that already now there is a portfolio of ten real projects for the development of “green” hydrogen, which can be implemented, including with German partners with the support of European financial institutions.
“We are interested in joint projects with German business,” Demchenkov stressed.
In turn, Pavlo Stanchak, Deputy Director General for Development and Transformation of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine LLC (GTSOU) said that, having created a decarbonization group, GTSOU is actively exploring the possibilities of the gas transmission system for the transfer of hydrogen and mixtures with it, and is also preparing for a pilot project that will show these possibilities.
According to him, GTSOU has a significant stock of maneuverable capacities for pumping gas, which is several times higher than the needs, and they could be used to transport “green” hydrogen and mixtures.

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SHARE OF UKRAINIAN COMPANIES PLANNING TO RAISE LOANS UP TO 41.5% IN Q2

The share of companies planning to attract loans in the next 12 months has reached 41.5% in the second quarter of 2019 compared to 38.2% a quarter earlier, according to the results of a regular survey of enterprises’ business expectations announced by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). The largest share of such companies accounted for the manufacturing industry, those of energy and water supply, the document says.
According to the survey, enterprises, as before, prefer loans in the national currency: their share increased to 79.1% in the second quarter compared to 78.1% in the first quarter.
The National Bank noted that large enterprises, as well as those companies that conduct export-import operations are more inclined to attract loans in foreign currency.
At the same time, the share of respondents planning to attract foreign loans rose in the market up to 10.4% in the second quarter compared to 9.7% in the previous quarter.

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UKRAINIAN COMPANIES INCREASE EXPORT OF FERROALLOYS BY 7.7% RISE

Ukraine in January-March 2019 boosted exports of ferroalloys by 7.7% compared to the same period last year, to 238,167 tonnes (221,163 tonnes in January-March 2018).
According to customs statistics made public by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, exports of ferroalloys in monetary terms grew by 1.7%, to $262.904 million.
Major exports were carried out to Italy (18.1% of supply in monetary terms), Turkey (15.62%), and the Netherlands (8.06%).
In addition, in January-March 2019, Ukraine imported 13,855 tonnes of similar products, which is 21.6% more compared to the same period last year. In monetary terms, imports for this period increased by 4.9%, to $36.827 million.
Imports were mainly made from Norway (22.11%), the Czech Republic (22.11%), and Kazakhstan (15.68%).
As reported, Ukraine in 2018 increased exports of ferroalloys in natural terms by 3.5% compared to the same period last year, to 904,290 tonnes. Exports of ferroalloys in monetary terms fell by 12.3%, to $977.858 million. Major exports were carried out to Turkey (16.84% of supply in monetary terms), Italy (15.78%), and the Netherlands (13.73%).
Last year Ukraine imported 60,373 tonnes of similar products, which is 2% less compared to 2017. In monetary terms, imports for this period increased by 26.9%, to $170.530 million. Imports were mainly made from Norway (21.9%), the Czech Republic (17.58%), and Kazakhstan (14.75%).
PrivatBank (Kyiv) prior to its nationalization organized the business of Stakhanov and Zaporizhia ferroalloys plants. Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant is under control of the EastOne Group, established in autumn 2007 as a result of the restructuring of the Interpipe group, as well as the Privat Group.

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SHARES OF UKRAINIAN COMPANIES ON INTL STOCK EXCHANGES REACT CALMLY ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

The most liquid shares of Ukrainian companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE) calmly reacted on the outcome of the first round of the presidential election in Ukraine.
According to the WSE, as of 10:00 am on April 1, the share price of the Ovostar agricultural holding slightly decreased – by 0.93%, to PLN 107 per share. The share price of Agroton agroholding increased 3.66%, to PLN 3.54 per share, Astarta – by 1.84%, to PLN 27.7 per share. Besides, the stock price of IMC increased by 0.72%, to PLN 13.95 per share and Kernel – by 0.2%, to PLN 49.3 per share.
On the LSE, the JKX Oil & Gas oil and gas company shares fell by 2.27%, to GBP 0.5375 per share. Shares of British Ferrexpo Plc, which controls Poltava and Yeristovo mining and processing plants in Ukraine, rose by 3.03%, to GBP 0.255 per share.
The stock price of the agricultural holding MHP increased 0.98%, to $10.35 per share. Share price of the British oil and gas company Regal Petroleum Plc with assets in Ukraine has not changed being GBP 0.435 per share.

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