A Kyiv Post special 24-page edition celebrating the 25th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence starts inside. in partnership with Another special edition will be published on Aug. 26. To advertise, contact [email protected] or call 38-044-591-7788. st 21 Subscribe Year to Kyiv Post online. :::.<,93267&20 vol. 21, issue 34 www.kyivpost.com August 19, 2016 Manifestly Sleazy What does U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump have in common with overthrown Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, now in exile under the protection of Russian President vladimir Putin? For one, both hired U.S. political consultant Paul Manafort (C), who is Trump’s campaign chairman. These ties, along with Trump’s pro-Kremlin stances and refusal to release his tax returns, have fueled speculation that the Republican candidate is hiding financial deals with Russia. In the background are handwritten ledgers seized from Yanukovych’s Party of Regions during the EuroMaidan Revolution that drove him from power. Records show $12.7 million in cash payments to Manafort from 2007-2012, allegations he denies. (AFP) BY OLEG SUKHOV hailed as a great asset when he serious liability. The revelations are seen as further money laundering and failure to dis- AND ISOBEL KOSHIW was taken on a few months ago as According to various news damaging Trump’s now long-shot close lobbying on behalf of a foreign [email protected] Republican presidential candidate reports, Manafort allegedly received prospects to win the Nov. 8 U.S. pres- government. AND [email protected] Donald Trump’s campaign chairman. an undeclared $12.7 million from idential election against Democrat Manafort, who was a political But with the latest revelations Yanukovych’s Party of Regions Hillary Clinton. consultant who helped Yanukovych Paul Manafort, the one-time advi- about shady deals Manafort seems and helped a Yanukovych-linked Manafort also could face criminal regain power after the 2004 Orange sor to disgraced former Ukrainian to have been involved in while in non-profit organization to secretly charges in the United States and President Viktor Yanukovych, was Ukraine, he’s looking more like a route $2.2 million to U.S. lobbyists. Ukraine for possible tax evasion, more Manafort on page 2 See 24-page special Independence Day edition inside National 2, 3, 8 Business 2 Follow the Kyiv Post on CURRENCY WATCH Facebook at Opinion 5, 8 Lifestyle 6 www.facebook.com/ KyivPost, and on Twitter Hr 25.3 to $1 Inside: Employment/Real Estate/Classifieds 7 at @KyivPost. Aug. 18 market rate Advertising: +380 44 591-7788 [email protected] Subscriptions: +380 44 591-7788 [email protected] Editorial staff: +380 44 591-3344 [email protected] 2 Business August 19, 2016 www.kyivpost.com AUGUST 19, 2016 Vol. 21, Issue 34 Copyright © 2016 Ukraine’s gross domestic product has almost by Kyiv Post GROSS DOMESTIC halved, from $181.3 billion to $90.6 billion, since the EuroMaidan Revolution and Russia’s war The material published in the Kyiv Post may PRODUCT 179.9 181.3 in 2014. But recovery is on the way, with GDP 175.7 not be reproduced without the written consent (1996 — 2015) expected to rise 1.3 percent this year. 163.1 of the publisher. All material in the Kyiv Post is 142.7 protected by Ukrainian and international laws. 136.4 131.8 The views expressed in the Kyiv Post are not necessarily the views of the publisher nor does 107.7 117.2 the publisher carry any responsibility for those 90.6 views. 86.1 Газета “Kyiv Post” видається ТОВ “Паблік-Ме- 64.8 діа”. Щотижневий наклад 11,000 прим. Ціна 50.1 50.1 за домовленістю. Матерiали, надрукованi в $ billion 44.5 41.8 GDP 38 42.3 газетi “Kyiv Post” є власнiстю видавництва, 31.5 31.2 захищенi мiжнародним та українським законодавством i не можуть бути вiдтворенi у будь(якiй формi без письмового дозволу Видавця. Думки, висловленi у дописах не завжди збiгаються з поглядами видавця, 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 який не бере на себе вiдповiдальнiсть за наслiдки публiкацiй. By Stella Shabliovska, Kyiv Post I Source: World Bank Засновник ТОВ “Паблік-Медіа” Головний редактор Брайан Боннер Відповідальна за випуск Люк Шеньє Адреса видавця та засновника співпадають: Україна, м. Київ, 01004, вул. Пушкінська, 31А, 6-й поверх. Weekly business update Реєстрацiйне свiдоцтво Кв № 15261(3833ПР від 19.06.09. Передплатний індекс ДП Преса 40528 BY YULIANA ROMANYSHYN, efficiency,” Roman Borysenko, director TOP 7 WHEAT Over the last five months, Ukraine has doubled its ISOBEL KOSHIW Надруковано ТОВ «Новий друк», of the NBU’s personnel department, DESTINATIONS exports of wheat compared to the same period in AND NATALIE VIKHROV said in the announcement. (Jan-May, 2016) 2015. The nation exported 5.1 million tons. 02660, Київ, вулиця Магнітогорська, 1, [email protected], Borysenko listed institutional inde- тел.: 559-9147 [email protected], pendence, improvements in deci- Egypt Замовлення № 13-8040 [email protected] sion-making, reducing hierarchy and Bangladesh З приводу розміщення реклами “making corruption impossible” as Thailand Indonesia звертайтесь: +380 44 591-77-88 among the bank’s recent achievements. Central bank to cut staff “Many changes are still to be made as South Korea Відповідальність за зміст реклами The National Bank of Ukraine plans we rapidly move towards a modern Spain несе замовник. to lay off half of its workforce in the and effective model of a European Italy next stage of its internal restructur- central bank,” Borysenko said. 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 Mailing address: ing. The cutbacks are among chang- Thousand tons Kyiv Post, 31A Pushkinska, Suite 600, 6th floor es expected to take place within the Wheat exports double Kyiv, Ukraine, 01004 central bank over the next two-and- Ukraine’s producers exported 7.1 FOREIGN DIRECT Despite Russia’s war against Ukraine, direct Advertising a-half years as it seeks to increase million tons of wheat over the first INVESTMENT investment from Russia has increased in the tel. +380 44 591-7788 its transparency and independence, six months of 2016, which is 93 first six months of 2016. fax +380 44 591-3345 (2015 — 2016) [email protected] with the aim of integrating the bank percent more than during the same 11.7 Editorial staff into the “European community of period of 2015. 11.1 tel. +380 44 591-3344 national central banks,” the NBU said According to an expert from the as of Dec. 31, 2015 fax +380 44 591-3345 in a post on its website. Agricultural Business Club, Yevheniy as of July 1, 2016 [email protected] Subscriptions&Distribution The bank cut its workforce from Dvornik, exports rose because of a tel. +380 44 591-3344 11,800 to 5,300 in the first stage of its good harvest, improved production fax +380 44 591-3345 5.8 5.5 restructuring, which finished in 2015. and stabilization of wheat prices. 5.6 5.4 [email protected] “Over the last two years, the NBU has According to Ukraine’s State 4.7 Employment Advertising $ billion 3.4 tel. +380 44 591-3344 undergone considerable change, giv- Statistics Service, Egypt is the largest 2.6 fax +380 44 591-3345 2.4 1.9 ing up the post-Soviet model of a state importer of Ukrainian wheat, buying 1.8 1.8 [email protected] regulator with too many staff and low around 20 percent of all the wheat 1.7 Ukraine exports. Indonesia and Bangladesh were the next biggest Cyprus Netherlands Germany Russia Austria UK The Virgin importers of Ukrainian wheat in 2016. Islands Dvornik predicted a slight reduc- tion in wheat production this year as Not including data for Crimea and the occupied territories of the Donbas. , farmers cut back on planting because By Juliana Romanyshyn Stella Shabliovska, Kyiv Post I Source: Ukrstat. of low wheat prices. “Sunflower is in greater demand, so the planted area Statistics Service.- $2.5 billion more lead the International Monetary for it has significantly increased,” than January. According to the state Fund and the European Union to Dvornik said. He also said sunflower agency, 83 percent of the FDI to suspend future loans and aid to are more profitable. Ukraine came from 10 countries: Ukraine. Cyprus, the Netherlands, Germany, The State Service for Government 2 more banks closed Russia, Austria, the United Kingdom, Communications said on Aug. 12 Classicbank and Eurobank will the British Virgin Islands, France, that it had refused to certify the be liquidated, the National Bank Switzerland, and Italy. Five out of electronic property declaration of Ukraine has announced. The the 10 countries operate offshore system because information pro- move was proposed by the Deposit tax havens and remaining ones are tection solutions in the system Guarantee Fund. favored residences of the ultra-rich. were noncompliant with technical Classicbank was identified as a Notably, Russian investment into requirements. problem bank in December 2015 Ukraine has increased by almost 3 Vitaly Shabunin, the head of the because of its non-transparent own- percent since January. Anti-Corruption Action Center’s ership structure. It was declared Direct investment by Ukraine in executive board, said that without insolvent on June 14 after failing to 47 countries on July 1 stood at $6.2 certification, evidence of wrongdoing rectify the problem. Eurobank was billion, with Cyprus leading the way. wouldn’t be admissible in court. He declared insolvent on June 17. called for the system to be certified The number of banks operating Smokescreen? within soon and for officials to re-de- in Ukraine has dropped from 180 A new electronic asset and property clare their assets.