The volume of issued e-money in Ukraine grew 2.5-fold in 2019. The amount of digital money circulating in Ukraine last year grew by Hr 203 million, the National Bank of Ukraine reported, with total volume reaching Hr 16.7 billion. 16 banks can issue digital currency in Ukraine, including Alfa-Bank, PrivatBank, Oschadbank, Raiffeisen Bank Aval and TAScombank.
Ukraine rolls out Diia.Business to ease innovation. The online service backed by the Digital Transformation Ministry will help local entrepreneurs find a business idea, collect documents as well as to offer advice and online services that might be useful, the Diia company stated on their website.
Ukrrichflot, Nibulon were the biggest river ports in Ukraine in 2019 and account for 75% of the market, Economichna Pravda reports. In total, Ukrainian river ports processed 15.4 million tons of freight last year, which is 16% more than in 2018. Local companies shipped 54% more grains in 2019 than in the previous year.
Roshen confectionery factory in Kyiv sees net profit fall by one-fourth in 2019. The net profit of a Kyiv-based confectionary factory that belongs to ex-President Petro Poroshenko dropped by 25%, to Hr 8.3 million, according to the company’s financial report. Roshen’s total profit, however, grew by 2.2% over the year, to Hr 381 million. Roshen is in the top 30 largest confectionery manufacturers in the world.
State Geology Service auctions permit 12 natural resource plots with initial Hr 8 million cost. The state service will try to sell licenses for geological exploration and production of mineral, medicinal, table and underground waters as well as sandstone, sand, limestone, clay and molybdenum ores. The procurement will be done via the ProZorro public procurement system. According to the head of the service, Roman Opimakh, anyone can participate in the auctions. The mechanisms for participating in auctions for foreign businessmen were simplified, with no need to register a legal entity in Ukraine to bid.
With millions invested, mobile number portability fails to shift the telecom market. A year after the rollout of a service allowing users to change mobile operators and retain their phone number, results have fallen short: only 50,000 of 54 million mobile users have transferred to another network. Meanwhile, it took Ukraine nine years of tenders, court hearings and a $1.6-million investment from the telecom regulator alone – none of the operators discloses the sums it invested – to introduce the service.
A Ukrainian firm starts selling biodegradable bags for garbage and shopping. Local manufacturer Novis has developed biodegradable bags made of potato and corn starch with plant biopolymers. The bags it produces can degrade in 30-90 days and can later be used as fertilizer, ITC reports.
U.S. hospitality giant Hilton has announced plans to open two casinos at their Kyiv hotel, even though gambling is still illegal in Ukraine. The co-owner of the hotel’s Ukrainian branch, who also co-founded the 1+1 Media Group, Boris Fuchsman, plans to invest $30 million in the project, he told the Ukrainian media outlet The Page on Feb. 26. The project’s start date remains unknown, but – if finalized – the casinos will appear in Ukraine amid ongoing efforts to legalize gambling in hotels.
