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advisory body on regulatory policy in Ukraine (funded by the European Union), which was presented at a roundtable discussion on December 5.
Starting in July 2019, Ukrainians will be taxed on packages received from abroad with values over EUR 100 . Signed into law by President Poroshenko on Monday, the new law is designed to curb tax-free online international shopping. The measure should boost retailers inside Ukraine.
With Apple Pay and Google Pay increasing popular, the use of cashless payment technologies could increase by 25-50% this year, estimates the European Business Association. By the end of this year, as many as 20% of payments in Ukraine could be cashless, the Association says in a press release, citing Evgeny Veremiychenko, coordinator of the EBA’s electronics payments committee. There is big room for growth. In Europe, the average penetration of point of sale terminals is 26,100 per 1mn people, four times Ukraine’s rate of 6,300 per 1mn.
9.1.8 Tourism sector news
9.1.9 Utilities sector news
A record 1.35mn Ukrainian tourists visited Turkey in 2018 , Ukrinform reported on January 25. Turkey is the favourite holiday destination for most countries in eastern Europe as their citizens visit Turkey for up to 90 days without a visa. The number of tourists from Ukraine who visit Turkey increases every year. Turkish Airlines plans to launch direct flights from Boryspil Airport to the Turkish resort town of Bodrum.
Ukraine’s installed renewable energy capacity jumped by 54% last year,
hitting 2,117 MW, according to the Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Utilities. Of the 742 MW of new installed capacity, 98% was for solar and wind. Solar, the leader, nearly doubled in capacity last year, hitting 1,388 MW. Wind grew by 12%, to 533 MW. Biomass grew by 31% to 51 MW, and biogas by 35% to 46 MW.
Ukraine in 2018 increased electricity exports by 19.3% (999.4mn kWh) compared with 2017 , to 6.166bn kWh, the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry has told Interfax-Ukraine. Electricity supplies from the Burshtyn TPP energy island in the direction of Hungary, Slovakia and Romania increased by 21.1% (662.1mn kWh), to 3.800bn kWh.
By 2035, renewables will account for 25% of Ukraine’s energy production, largely displacing coal, which will drop to 13%, predicts Kyiv’s Razumkov centre. Shares of gas and nuclear will remain virtually the same – 30% for gas and 25% for nuclear. Not counting large scale hydro projects, renewables account for 2% of energy production.
The green rush is a gold rush – this year. The Rada is reviewing for a second vote a bill that would lower tariffs for solar and wind and adopt auctions. Highlighting profits to be made by renewable projects commissioned before Dec. 31, Oksana Kryvenko, chair of the State Regulation Commission tells Business Censor news site that renewables will account for 2.5% of Ukraine’s electric production this year, but account for 7.5% of consumers’ electricity bills. She says: “Ultimately, the consumer pays."
70 UKRAINE Country Report February 2019 www.intellinews.com