nbu

Thursday, August 19

During the upcoming Independence Day holiday, Monday Aug. 23 and Tuesday Aug. 24 are banking holidays , the National Bank of Ukraine announces on Facebook. To compensate for the loss of Aug. 23, Saturday, August 28 is a normal working day.

Friday, July 23

Looking ahead, the Bank forecasts: “After peaking in the fall of this year, inflation will begin to slow as the new harvest arrives and global energy prices adjust.” In the second half of 2022, inflation will slow to 5%, the Bank has p...

Politics also may have influenced the interest rate hike. In one year on the job, Kyrylo Shevchenko, the Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, has presided over the departure of one third of top officials at the bank. On Tuesday, the Financial Times repo...

Thursday, July 1

In the latest turmoil at the central bank, the nine top leaders of the licensing department quit en masse yesterday, charging a lack of transparency and autonomy under the new governor who took over one year ago. “Today, the National Bank of Ukraine has deviated far from these standards,” Oleksandr Bevz, former dire...

Tuesday, May 18

Ukraine and IMF may reach a staff level agreement in the next few weeks, close to the one year anniversary of the $5 billion Stand-By Agreement, Yuriy Geletiy, Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, announced in an interview with FinClub. Referring to reforms tha...

Monday, May 17

Ukraine’s central bank welcomed a decision by the Bank of England on Friday that it approved the “bail-in” of $595 million of loans that a British-based financial company made to PrivatBank before it was nationalized in 2016, Reuters reports. In a statement, the National Bank...

Thursday, May 13

Mortgages, long a rarity in Ukraine, doubled to $50 million during this first quarter of 2021, compared to January-March of last year, reports the National Bank of Ukraine. The Central Bank has reported that the number of new mortgages increased by 51% yoy, to 1,811. Most mortgages are for dach...

Tuesday, May 4

The National Bank has simplified regulations for Ukrainian companies seeking to issue debt securities on the international market, the NBU said. The following amendments were introduced: “transactions to distribute income on and redeem Eurobonds as well as other issuer transactions for the purpose of placing such securities were ...

“The Ukrainian economy requires additional funds for development more than ever. One of such sources is international loans. The regulator observes increasing interest of Ukrainian companies to the possibility to attract foreign funding, including through Eurobond placement. The amendments approved by the NBU will streamlin...

Wednesday, April 28

The Finance Ministry raised the equivalent of $370 million at its weekly auction yesterday, the Ministry reported on its Facebook page. Yields in hryvnia reflect the Central Bank’s increase in the nation’s prime rate 10 days ago to 7.5%. The yields were: 6-month – 9%; 1-year – 11.2%; 1.5 yea...

Demand for dollars hit a 4-year high during the recent military standoff between Russia and Ukraine , Bohdan Danylyshyn, chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, announced on the banks Facebook page. Since the start of April, Ukrainians bought $422 million more dollars than they sold, according to ...

Friday, April 16

The escalating military standoff with Russia is cutting foreign demand for domestic government bonds, Yuriy Geletiy, a deputy governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, told reporters yesterday. “Prior to Russia’s concentration in the East, investors were actively buying IGLBs,” he said, referrin...

The Central Bank revised its 2020 inflation forecast to 8%, from 7%. After inflation hit 8.5% yoy last month, the National Bank of Ukraine now predicts that inflation will peak at 9.6% in the third quarter. It will recede steadily, hitting 5% for 2021, the bank has pre...

The National Bank of Ukraine also downgraded its forecast for real GDP growth in 2021 to 3.8%, from 4.2%. “The introduction of new quarantine restrictions has led to the suppression of business activity,” the bank said. “The effect of last year’s low harvests affected the indicators of agriculture, ...

Wednesday, April 14

According to a Reuters poll of analysts, the Central Bank is expected to raise its prime interest rate tomorrow in order to catch up with inflation, Of the 16 analysts, 10 foresee the rate rising to 7% from the current level of 6.5%. Three expect an increase to 7.5%. March inflation jumped to 8.5% yoy, which was fueled by food and energy price hik...

Dragon Capital has predicted an interest rate hike to 7.5% tomorrow and another increase to 8% at the Central Bank’s Monetary Policy Board’s June 17 meeting. In a note to clients, Dragon predicts that inflation will peak in June at 9.8% and will end the year at 7.5%....

Monday, April 12

Ukraine’s March inflation íncreased to 8.5% yoy, setting the stage for an interest rate hike this Thursday at the scheduled meeting of the National Bank of Ukraine’s Monetary Policy Board. According to the State Statistics Service inflation has climbed steadily recording these rates: December – 5%; January...

Tuesday, April 6

Capital investment by cross border investors in Ukraine decreased by $868 million last year, the first decline of Incoming Investment since 2015, Bohdan Danylyshyn, Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine wrote on Facebook. He said: “The key reasons for the low interest of foreign investors in the Ukrainian economy are the weak and underdevelo...

During the first quarter, the Central Bank of Ukraine purchased a net $220.5 million to smooth out foreign exchange fluctuations. As the hryvnia strengthened last week, the bank sold $50 million, reported the National Bank of Ukraine website. Since the start of the year, the hryvnia h...

Friday, April 2

JCB, Japan’s largest credit card company, is entering the Ukrainian market. It will be the fifth international card payment system in Ukraine with a non-resident payment organization, reported the National Bank of Ukraine. The 50-year-old Tokyo-based company has 5,000 employe...

For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic hit Ukraine, business expectations have moved into the positive territory of the Central Bank’s monthly survey. The mood inched up to 51.4 points, the first time since February 2020 that the index of business prospects have crossed the 50-point equilibrium, report...

Thursday, March 11

With the $5 billion IMF lending program to Ukraine suspended, Bloomberg and Reuters moved stories yesterday on the spat With the $5 billion IMF lending program to Ukraine suspended, Bloomberg and Reuters moved stories yesterday on the spat. Bloomberg headlined: “Another Ukrainian Central Banker Speaks Out on Governance...

Ukrzaliznytsia passenger service – which has been hemorrhaging money loser – lost 26% more of its income in the last year, a total of $314 million Ukrzaliznytsia passenger service – which has been hemorrhaging money loser – lost 26% more of its income in the last year, a total of $314 million, said Volodomyr Zhmak, the state railroad’s CEO, yest...

The share of UZ cars in freight trains has dropped in half – from 47% in 2018 to 21% in 2021 The share of UZ cars in freight trains has dropped in half – from 47% in 2018 to 21% in 2021, Zhmak said. This year, Zhmak wants to increase the UZ portion to 40%. Private cars are more popular becaus...

Former Ukrzaliznytsia CEO Wojciech Balczun is co-owner of Aurum Polonez, an amber mining company in Klesiv, northern Rivne oblast Former Ukrzaliznytsia CEO Wojciech Balczun is co-owner of Aurum Polonez, an amber mining company in Klesiv, northern Rivne oblast, according to Nadra.info. A Polish rock musician, Balczun ran UZ in 20...

Egis Ukraina, a French-financed engineering company working in Ukraine for the last three decades, Egis Ukraina, a French-financed engineering company working in Ukraine for the last three decades, has entered into a joint venture with Ertle, Ltd, an international engineering and construction holdi...

Half of Ukrainians seeking work abroad want to go to Poland, with two thirds looking for seasonal work, Half of Ukrainians seeking work abroad want to go to Poland, with two thirds looking for seasonal work, according to an OLX Work survey last month of 7,700 Ukrainian job seekers. The other top two des...

Resistance to vaccinations against the coronavirus is high and growing in Ukraine, Resistance to vaccinations against the coronavirus is high and growing in Ukraine, the AP reports in an article headlined: “Wide resistance to vaccines plagues Ukraine’s COVID-19 fight.” The portion o...

The Health Ministry reported that 40% of medical workers say they do not want to be vaccinated. The Health Ministry reported that 40% of medical workers say they do not want to be vaccinated. In the Donetsk village of Selydove, a visiting AP reporter found that only 5% of medical workers agreed ...

Ukraine and Israel are negotiating mutual recognition of “vaccination passports” for tourist travel Ukraine and Israel are negotiating mutual recognition of “vaccination passports” for tourist travel, Yevhen Korniychuk, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel, told Ukraine 24 TV. In September, mo...

UIA said that it has refunded $2.5 million to travelers last month for flights cancelled due to COVID-19. UIA said that it has refunded $2.5 million to travelers last month for flights cancelled due to COVID-19. These refunds, up to 15,000 passengers, brings to $29 million the airline has refunded to cust...

Passenger traffic at Kyiv Boryspil was down by two thirds during the first two months of this year Passenger traffic at Kyiv Boryspil was down by two thirds during the first two months of this year, compared to January-February 2020, reported the Center for Transportation Studies. With UIA’s suspen...

A total of 1,000 people a day crossed the two checkpoints with Russia-controlled Crimea last month A total of 1,000 people a day crossed the two checkpoints with Russia-controlled Crimea last month, reported Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service. This volume – 27,300 people – was down 88% compared t...

In the last six months, Ukraine’s Central Bank has moved from collegiality to Soviet-style centralism In the last six months, Ukraine’s Central Bank has moved from collegiality to Soviet-style centralism, Kateryna Rozhkova, First Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, said in a lengthy inter...

Hours after the interview with NV was posted Hours after the interview with NV was posted on Facebook yesterday, the bank’s communications department tried — unsuccessfully — to censor the interview. Rozhkova also complained that she...

Independence of the Central Bank became the critical issue with the IMF last summer Independence of the Central Bank became the critical issue with the IMF last summer after President Zelenskiy pushed out the internationally known and respected governor, Yakiv Smoliy. In the ensuing ...

Friday, March 5

Remittances from Ukrainians working abroad are expected to grow by 8%, to $13 billion this year Remittances from Ukrainians working abroad are expected to grow by 8%, to $13 billion this year, Geletiy said. For the last two years, remittance averaged $12 billion, or $1 billion a month. Labor is ...

Ukrainians relentlessly move away from cash Ukrainians relentlessly move away from cash, indicates a National Bank of Ukraine report for card and contactless payments. Last year, the number of transactions with payment cards jumped 25% yoy, to ...

Highlights Highlights:

With new coronavirus cases doubling this week, With new coronavirus cases doubling this week, Prime Minister Shmygal warned yesterday: “It’s obvious that the third wave of the pandemic has started that Ukraine is facing.” Yesterday morning, 10,057...

The new cases are largely in Kyiv and to the West The new cases are largely in Kyiv and to the West: Zhytomyr Oblast – 888; Kyiv City – 868; Vinnytsia Oblast – 827; Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast – 776; and Zakarpattia – 676. Ukraine’s first two cases ...

Ukraine plans to become a major producer of lithium batteries for Europe’s electric cars Ukraine plans to become a major producer of lithium batteries for Europe’s electric cars, Prime Minister Shmygal told reporters yesterday, reviewing talks he had in Brussels last month. By 2030, Europ...

Coal miners may become lithium miners Coal miners may become lithium miners under a pilot project to start closing two coal mines this year, one in Lviv and the other in Donetsk, the Prime Minister. With German and Polish advice and aid, ...

Turkey and Ukraine are on the final stretch for finalize a bilateral free trade agreement Turkey and Ukraine are on the final stretch for finalize a bilateral free trade agreement, Shmygal told reporters. Of the long-delayed agreement, he said: “Literally, last week and this week the free ...

In a new twist on the Motor Sich drama, David Arakhamia, the head of Servant of the People faction in the Rada In a new twist on the Motor Sich drama, David Arakhamia, the head of Servant of the People faction in the Rada, said yesterday he will submit a bill to nationalize the Zaporizhia-based aircraft engine...

Navigation will resume next week on the Dnipro River, two months after closing for ice Navigation will resume next week on the Dnipro River, two months after closing for ice, reports Port of Ukraine. All locks on the Dnipro cascade – from the Kyiv Sea to the Black Sea – are to re-open W...

Although last year’s Dnipro shipping season was six weeks longer than usual, cargo dropped 5% yoy, to 11 million tons Although last year’s Dnipro shipping season was six weeks longer than usual, cargo dropped 5% yoy, to 11 million tons. “Results of cargo transportation were influenced by the reduction in grain transp...

With traffic jams clogging Kyiv’s Dnipro bridges, the City Council is studying restoring boat service across the river. With traffic jams clogging Kyiv’s Dnipro bridges, the City Council is studying restoring boat service across the river. According to Kiev Vlast, the River Port Administration calculates that 2,000 peo...

Fearing inflation, Ukraine’s central bank hikes the prime rate to 6.5% today, the first increase in two years. Fearing inflation, Ukraine’s central bank hikes the prime rate to 6.5% today, the first increase in two years. The hike ends a post-Independence low of 6%, which reigned since June.

In January-February, Ukrainians imported 53,000 used cars, 4.4 times the volume of the first two months of 2019 In January-February, Ukrainians imported 53,000 used cars, 4.4 times the volume of the first two months of 2019. Used imports, a rarity four years ago, now account for 81% of car imports, reports Ukra...