Page 13 - UKRRptSept19

Port concession tenders: contracts to handle cargo transfers at the key ports of Kherson and Olbia to be allotted to private stevedore companies by open tender by January 1. About 20 foreign and national companies have expressed interest in these contracts, reports UBN.
Re-launch the privatisation programme: the previous government’s privatisation programme failed to gather much momentum and attempts to sell big assets like Odessa Port Plant (OPP) failed multiple times. The new government will start off more modestly with a list of 500 small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) by December 1 that will be put up for sale via the ProZoro government electronic auction system. Ukraine has a total of circa 3,600 state-owned companies, reports UBN. The current list of state companies barred from privatization will be abolished and a new, shorter list of companies exempted from privatisation must be prepared by the Rada by October 1. Big state-owned companies listed for privatization must have privatisation plans ready, drawn up with the participation of investment advisers, by December 1. The first tender for a big privatisation must be offered no later than April 1 next year by Tymofei Milovanov, Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture.
Foreign investment protection legislation: new laws to improve the investment environment by strengthening investment protection, property rights, etc. to be enacted by January 1, 2020.
Anti-corporate raiding legislation: new legislation to end the practise of corporate raiding by strengthening property rights, expanding and improving property registers and automatic monitoring of risky transactions with extra confirmation by participants, to be prepared by the Rada by October 1.
Labour law liberalisation: draft laws to further liberalise the labour market to be submitted to the Rada by January 1. The intention is to ditch more of the legacy Soviet-era worker protections and make it easier to hire and fire employees to stimulate private enterprise and SME development. This was one over the very first reforms that president Vladimir Putin made on taking office in 2000 and has lead to vibrant and competitive labour market. Today Russia boasts record post-Soviet low unemployment.
Inland shipping bill: to revive shipping via the Dnipro river by laying out inland river shipping regulation and taxes that should be enacted by November 1. There is already a draft version that needs revision that would use a single river tax to fund investment into Soviet-era locks and boost traffic significantly. Some 65mn tons of cargo travelled along the river in 1991. This year the river will carry 13mn tons of cargo.
Private locomotives bill: legislation to regulate and allow privately owned locomotives on the state-owned railroad tracks, to be enacted by December 31. Russia introduced the private ownership of gondolas but not locomotives that remain under the control of Russian Railways (RZD). The reform lead to an inflow of investment and a rapid consolidation of the fragmented railway logistics that is a Soviet-era legacy to create some highly attractive logistics companies. Ukraine is proposing to skip a step and go straight to privately operated locomotives.
Re-structure Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railway): in parallel the government is proposing a deep restructuring of the state-owned national rail operator that
13 UKRAINE Country Report September 2019 www.intellinews.com