07:41, 04 Dec
Five questions about the dollar: What threats does Trump pose? Will there be a BRICS currency? What will the exchange rate look like in 2025?
Analysts suggest that the hryvnia may experience significant devaluation in 2025, as there are numerous factors at play. Meanwhile, global concerns are rising regarding the potential decline of the dollar's status as the dominant currency for transactions. What challenges does the dollar face, and what can we expect for the hryvnia's exchange rate in 2025?
07:40, 04 Dec
Where is the funding for the Armed Forces of Ukraine? Will salaries for Ukrainian military personnel be increased?
Russia is attempting to motivate its contract soldiers to fight in Ukraine with substantial financial incentives, while Ukraine is striving for its independence with limited resources. The disparity in military support between the two nations is becoming increasingly apparent. Focus has explored why Ukrainian soldiers should not expect a significant increase in salaries and whether it is fair to compare the economic strengths of Ukraine and Russia.
07:40, 04 Dec
Focus magazine's "Ukrainian of the Year" award goes to Myroslav Chernov, who won an Oscar for the film "20 Days in Mariupol."
Focus summarizes the year 2024 by holding a vote for the title of "Ukrainian of the Year." The editorial team has selected 10 nominees based on various criteria, including patriotism, support for the front lines, dedication to their work, and accountability to society. Voting will continue until December 20, and the winner's name will be announced on December 23.
07:40, 04 Dec
"In the first 28 days of November, Ukrainians purchased $1.227 billion," said financial expert Anna Zolotko.
In early December, there is a strong demand for currency in the Ukrainian foreign exchange market. What factors are influencing this trend, and why are Ukrainians flocking to currency exchange offices to buy dollars?
07:40, 04 Dec
Do you see the Koreans? Why do the U.S. deny the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the fighting against Ukraine?
The Pentagon does not confirm the active involvement of North Korean military forces in the battles against the Defense Forces, while Ukraine claims otherwise. Focus has investigated whether North Korean fighters are indeed engaged on the front lines in the Kursk region.
07:36, 04 Dec
97% of financial institution leaders rated shock resistance as average or above.
Leaders of banks and non-bank financial institutions have improved their assessments of the financial sector's resilience to significant negative events for the third consecutive survey, according to the results of the "Survey on Systemic Risks in the Financial Sector" for November 2024, as reported on the website of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
07:36, 04 Dec
Power supply has been restored in the Ternopil region.
The power supply in the Ternopil region has been restored following a nighttime drone attack by Russian forces, reported NEC "Ukrenergo" on Telegram.
07:36, 04 Dec
At AGU, there was opposition to the closure of municipal enterprises, citing the situation in Kryvyi Rih as a key reason.
The Association of Cities of Ukraine (ACU) emphasizes the importance of preserving municipal enterprises in the draft law "On the Features of Regulating Entrepreneurial Activity... during the Transition Period." They warn that if the bill is passed without considering this aspect, many cities could face situations similar to that of Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where the city was left without heating.
07:36, 04 Dec
Raiffeisen Bank anticipates its 2025 revenues to match those of 2024, according to the bank's CEO.
Raiffeisen Bank's gross revenues, which stabilized in 2024, are expected to remain at a similar level in 2025, although with some changes in their structure, including a decrease in the share of treasury instruments, stated Alexander Pysaruk, the bank's CEO, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
07:36, 04 Dec
Manifest-42 urges the Rada not to consider the blocking business bill that seeks to increase the liability of legal entities for corruption.
The public movement Manifest-42 has called on the Verkhovna Rada to withdraw bill No. 11443 from consideration. According to the movement, this legislation would give law enforcement officials the authority to independently initiate a "restriction of activities" for any business in order to ensure criminal proceedings. This was reported by Alexander Sokolovsky, a member of the movement and owner of TK-Group.
07:36, 04 Dec
The Cabinet has renamed the Ministry of Reintegration to the Ministry of National Unity, according to Shmyhal.
The Cabinet of Ministers has renamed the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories to the Ministry of National Unity of Ukraine, announced Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
07:36, 04 Dec
The Cabinet has appointed Smilyansky as the commissioner for customs reform, according to Shmyhal.
The Cabinet of Ministers has appointed Igor Smilyansky, the CEO of JSC "Ukrposhta," as the government representative for customs reform, announced Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
07:36, 04 Dec
Power restrictions for the public will be in effect on Wednesday from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, according to "Ukrenergo."
The schedules for hourly power outages for the public on Wednesday will be in effect from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, primarily in two shifts, as reported by the National Energy Company "Ukrenergo."
07:36, 04 Dec
The NBU anticipates inflation to exceed 10% by the end of 2025.
The National Bank of Ukraine, which revised its inflation forecast for 2024 from 8.5% to 9.7% at the end of October, anticipates that inflation may exceed 10% by the end of this year, as reported by a correspondent from Interfax-Ukraine.
07:36, 04 Dec
The Ministry of Economy anticipates a 3.9% GDP growth for Ukraine in 2024, with an inflation rate projected at 9.5%.
The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, which had lowered its economic growth forecast for this year from 4.6% to 3.5% earlier in the year, has now revised it upward to 3.9%. This was announced by the department's representative, Valeria Voytenko, during a discussion organized by the Economic Strategy Center in Kyiv on Tuesday.
07:36, 04 Dec
The Kharkiv City Council has extended tax benefits for individuals, legal entities, and entrepreneurs until the first quarter of 2025.
The Kharkiv City Council extended the local tax benefits for individuals, legal entities, and entrepreneurs for the first quarter of 2025 during an extraordinary session held on Tuesday.
07:36, 04 Dec
According to the NBU, the volume of cashless transactions increased by 3.5% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
The total amount of cashless transactions from January to September 2024 increased by 3.5%, or 104.84 billion UAH, compared to the same period last year, reaching 3 trillion 105 billion UAH. Meanwhile, the number of transactions during this period rose by 8.9%, totaling 6.04 billion operations, according to data from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
07:36, 04 Dec
Ukraine is preparing to launch forward auctions for electricity imports from EU countries.
Ukraine is actively working on implementing long-term (forward) auctions for the import of electricity in collaboration with its energy partners in the European Union, as reported by the National Commission for State Regulation in the Spheres of Energy and Public Utilities (NEURC).
07:36, 04 Dec
Ukraine has signed a credit agreement with the EU to secure up to EUR 35 billion as part of the G7 initiative.
On Wednesday morning, the Ministry of Finance reported that Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko and the Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), Andriy Pyshny, signed a Credit Agreement with the European Union to secure up to EUR 35 billion in macro-financial assistance (MFA) through the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) mechanism, utilizing revenues from frozen Russian assets. They also signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
07:40, 03 Dec
Two fronts are too much for Putin: how the war in Ukraine has drained Russia's resources for defending Syria.
The capture of Aleppo and other Syrian cities by rebel forces is damaging the reputation of President Bashar al-Assad and his key allies. Russia is currently bogged down in its conflict with Ukraine, but it will need to address a new challenge. Focus has investigated whether Moscow can manage two wars simultaneously.
07:40, 03 Dec
Will Ukraine lower the draft age to 18? Will Kyiv agree to the West's terms, and under what conditions?
In the West, discussions have emerged about lowering the conscription age in Ukraine to 18, while Kyiv has reported delays in aid and a shortage of weapons. Focus has investigated whether President Zelensky may agree to the partners' terms.
07:36, 03 Dec
The mining and metallurgical complex has the potential to symbolize Ukraine's revival, according to the rector of "Metinvest Polytechnic."
The mining and metallurgical complex (MMC) has the potential to become a symbol of Ukraine's revival, as this industry has always been a cornerstone of the economy, stated Alexander Povazhny, rector of the first private mining and metallurgical university "Metinvest Polytechnic," during the second international conference "MININGMETALTECH 2024 – MMC: Integrating Business, Technology, and Education," which took place online on November 28-29.
07:36, 03 Dec
The conservative nature of Ukraine's construction industry hinders the adoption of BIM technologies, according to experts.
The conservative nature of the construction sector in Ukraine, along with the need for substantial investments in software and staff training, poses significant barriers to the development of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies in the domestic construction market. This insight comes from a survey conducted by the Interfax-Ukraine agency among developers.
07:36, 03 Dec
The government has approved the state property policy, according to the Ministry of Economic Development.
On Friday, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a state property policy aimed at enhancing the management of state assets and attracting investment, as reported on the Ministry of Economy's website.
07:36, 03 Dec
"Kharkivoblenergo" has acquired three state-of-the-art mobile electrical engineering laboratories.
As part of its investment program for 2024, Kharkivoblenergo has acquired two mobile electrical laboratories designed for locating cable faults and servicing energy facilities.
07:36, 03 Dec
Top pharmaceutical companies announce their readiness to operate smoothly during blackouts.
Leading pharmaceutical manufacturers in Ukraine have assured that they are prepared to ensure uninterrupted operations during blackouts.
07:36, 03 Dec
Nearly 69,000 installment plans were issued by monobank during the "Black Friday" event.
Approximately 69,000 installment purchases were made through monobank during Black Friday 2024, compared to 60,000 purchases in 2023, reported monobank co-founder Oleg Gorokhovsky on Monday.
07:36, 03 Dec
"Ukrnafta has achieved an additional 2,600 tons of oil production through the implementation of a new technology."
PJSC "Ukrnafta" has initiated a pilot project utilizing a flow-diverting method to enhance oil recovery at two injection wells, as reported by the company's press service.
07:36, 03 Dec
Business expectations deteriorated in November, according to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
The Business Activity Expectations Index (BAEI), calculated by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) on a scale from zero to 100, increased by 0.7 points in October but then fell by 2.3 points in November to reach 47.2 points. This marks a decline below the February 2024 value of 47.5 points, as reported on the regulator's website.
07:40, 02 Dec
Russia's shadow fleet is expanding despite sanctions: what implications does this have for Ukraine?
The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on 30 tankers from Russia's shadow fleet, which are responsible for transporting oil and petroleum products worth billions of pounds. Why do oil and petroleum products still account for a significant portion of the Kremlin's revenue, and what factors could potentially influence this situation? This topic is explored in detail in the Focus article.