Mathematics from MIU. Under what conditions will the ports receive UAH 17 billion of investments?

It is necessary to invest about UAH 17 billion (USD 625.69 million) in Ukrainian ports over the next five years.

According to the estimates of the Ministry of Infrastructure, UAH 17 billion is the total need for investment in port infrastructure. First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Vasyl Shkurakov announced this during the MINTRANS forum.

According to the presentation of the Deputy Minister, these funds are planned to be raised by reducing dividend payments from 80% to 30%.

Last year, USPA dividend payments amounted to UAH 3.6 billion (USD 132.49 million). This year, the company plans to allocate UAH 3.8 billion (USD 139.86 million) to the state budget and trust funds.

Provided that the USPA fulfills its financial plan, and the volume of dividend payments will indeed decrease from 80% to 30%, the company will transfer UAH 1.43 billion (USD 52.63 million) to the state, and benefit by UAH 3.32 billion (USD 122.19 million).

With this, even an approximate calculation, the USPA will be able to invest UAH 17.6 billion (USD 647.77 million) in ports within 5 years. But this directly depends on the level of income of the enterprise during this period, and on when it will be possible to change the dividend policy (ideally, no later than 2022).

Earlier, USM reported that State Enterprise “USPA” is preparing a new version of the financial plan for 2022, which will include projects for the development of the water areas of all ports.

According to the Head of the USPA Olexandr Golodnitsky, the company is now completing the updating of development plans for each port and is submitting projects for the waters and territories of all ports to the draft financial plan for 2022. Including modernization and construction projects.

It is planned to cover the deficit of funds for modernization using external investment and borrowing in the domestic and foreign financial markets. One of the possible options for raising funds for the implementation of USPA projects may be a model of compensation for investments.

As a reminder, in July, MIU initiated a policy of reducing dividend payments from 80% to 30% from the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority and state stevedores.

“While the port infrastructure of the EU and other neighboring countries is subsidized by the state, in Ukraine, for years, they not only did not support, but also took away funds from the state budget, which should be directed to support and develop infrastructure. As a result, the degree of depreciation of the port infrastructure has reached a record 80%”, said Minister of Infrastructure Olexandr Kubrakov.

The Minister highlighted that the reform of the dividend policy will allow more than half to cover the need for capital investments, which will give an impetus to the development of international trade and the economy as a whole.

Olha Horbenko.