News digest
1. The National Bank reported that it eased a number of restrictions, in particular for Ukrainian exporters. Banks actually got the opportunity to provide tender guarantees for operations on the supply of goods to non-residents. This will improve business conditions for Ukrainian exporters because tender guarantees are used to enter new markets and find new export opportunities.
2. The Verkhovna Rada is developing a draft law aimed at supporting domestic industry in wartime. Exemption from import VAT is provided for equipment supplied by manufacturers for their own needs, without the right of resale, including electric generators.
3. The massive shelling of Russians on the territory of Ukraine in October prevented 53 percent of companies from working at full capacity. But 44 percent still work without any restrictions. Only three percent of Ukrainian companies ceased operations.
4. Immediately, two powerful business communities – the Ukrainian Club of Agrarian Business and the European Business Association – called on the government to urgently put VAT refunds in order. It is claimed that the VAT refund system often does not work in practice. Moreover, more than 95% of the amounts declared before the VAT refund are subject to checks, which delays and complicates the refund.
5. Since February 24, hostilities took place in forests on an area of almost 3 million hectares. More than 13,000 hectares of forests were destroyed by fires. Damages caused to the state forest fund, as well as to private forest users as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, will be calculated. Losses from damage to harvested forest products will also be included in the number of damages.
6. The war also affected interior design in Ukraine. Maryna Kruglova, the founder of the EcoBud Project architectural bureau, singled out the main trend in interior design, which gained super-fast development after February 24. The interior must-have of the present time is to provide cozy and reliable storage for the family according to the rule of two walls.
7. The Kharkiv company “Nowy styl” calls on colleagues in the workshop and all those who care to join the fund-raising to provide psychological help to our defenders and their families. The collected funds will go to finance the project “Mental health during the war” from the charity fund “KharkivHelpFoundation”.
8. The company “Pavlyk” provided significant assistance to fellow furniture makers – the company “Level”, which had to relocate its production from Russia-ravaged Gostomel to the Transcarpathian region. The head of the region, Viktor Mykyta, called such assistance a vivid demonstration of “solidarity, respect and mutual support of business in such a difficult time.”
9. “IKEA” is increasingly investing in the so-called “customer experience”, which gives them the opportunity to independently scan goods using the “IKEA” mobile application during shopping and quick payment at special “Scan and Pay” checkouts. And also in the unique contact format “Live purchases” in social networks. 10. Manufacturers of sliding furniture drawers (boxes) are competitively fighting for every square centimeter of their internal useful space. For this purpose, the “Amix” company improved its popular Slim Box series with ultra-thin sidewalls, while maintaining a high dynamic load for the drawers – up to 40 kg.
