Page 46 - UKRRptApr21

8.1.4 Bank news
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy extended for three years sanctions against two Russian banks, according to a presidential directive published on March 18, reports Tass. The decree orders to "put into practice the National Security and Defence Council ruling dated March 11, 2021, and headlined 'On the use of individual special economic and other restrictive measures'." An annex to the directive says the restrictions are being levied against a Ukrainian subsidiary of Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank and against Prominvestbank, a subsidiary of Russia’s state development corporation VEB.RF, which was earlier sold by the government of Ukraine.
Two Czech investment bankers prominent in Ukraine – Tomasz Fiala and Ivan Svitek –received permission from the National Bank of Ukraine to acquire UNEX bank. Fiala, through Dragon Capital companies, is buying 75%. Svitek, former CEO of Alfa-Bank Group in Ukraine, is buying 25%. The Central Bank ranks UNEX Bank as the 63rd largest of Ukraine’s 73 banks, with total assets of $32mn.
Ukreximbank posts profits, continuing a positive trend, the bank reports. “The profit was achieved, in particular, thanks to the optimization of the balance sheet. In February, calculations were carried out on external borrowings, attracted at one time not on the best terms for the bank. In particular, a syndicated loan in synthetic hryvnia and other external liabilities for a total of UAH4.7bn in equivalent were repaid, which will further improve the level of profitability and reduce the cost of financing for clients.”
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 employees and 130mn cardholders in 23 countries. Around the world, JCB has alliances with Discover Network in the US, UnionPay in China, RuPay in India and American Express in Canada.
46 UKRAINE Country Report April 2021 www.intellinews.com