EVENT

Kyiv purchases first ten buses for Euro-2012

The Kyivpastrans public utilities company has signed an agreement with the LAZ commercial and financial company on the acquisition of the first ten buses as part of preparations for the Euro-2012 soccer championship. According to the Kyiv City Administration’s press service, it is planned to purchase a total 100 new buses to carry fans from Boryspil airport to the city. The contract value and dates of delivery have not been disclosed. Besides, the press service points out that the trolleybus and tram rolling stock will also be considerably updated under a sate target-oriented program to prepare Kyiv for hosting the 2012 European soccer championship. On the whole, Ukraine plans to acquire this year, on a long-term leasing basis, seven buses for each of the host cities, for which it is intended to outlay 100 million hryvnias from the state budget.

Seaport Industrial Logistics Complex in Yevpatoria

Yevpatoria Seaport Industrial Logistics Complex will be built on Donuzlav Island, replacing the old seaport, reports the Chief Information Policy Directorate of the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea. CM Chairman Vasyl Dzharty says that the construction of the new port is warranted, on the one hand, by the need to have Ukraine’s container traffic enter the international market, thus developing the national infrastructural potential, and on the other hand, by the presence of qualified manpower in nearby populated areas — people who lost their jobs after the liquidation of the Crimean Naval Base of the Black Sea Fleet. The first stage of the project currently being developed envisages a heavy-duty truck ferry line with a quay on the Pivdenna kosa (Southern Spit). In fact, a deep-sea terminal is already there, resulting in economies of scale. A highway, railroad, checkpoint, terminal parking, and other facilities are also planned. After launching stage one, the Crimea will accommodate ferries carrying up to 150 trucks. According to the CM’s Chief Information Policy Directorate, Yevpatoria will retain the passenger port, build a European-class marina, and possibly a hotel and entertainment complex based on the old port infrastructure, the way old cargo ports are re-equipped in Europe, Israel, and other countries. The second stage of the project envisages new loading berths and a container terminal on the island’s Pivnichna kosa (Northern Spit). “This is a large-scale program that will last until 2025. Already in 2015, cargo turnover may reach 2.5 million tons, and nine million in 2025. That will enhance [Ukraine’s] position on the world’s trade routes,” stressed Dzharty.

Two Regions Chosen for Pilot Medicine Reform

Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk regions were chosen for the pilot project on reforming the healthcare system, UNIAN informs. “The Ministry of Health believes that the practical and key mechanisms for reforming the healthcare system are to be tested on the pilot regions in first order. Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk regions were determined to be such regions,” Svitlana Bunina, Deputy Health Minister informed. She also noted that an interagency task force was created for support and coordination of the project. “Today, the Ministry is holding consultations and advisory meetings with the World Bank representatives to attract grants for financing these projects,” informed the Deputy Health Minister. The director of the Healthcare and Resort Administration of Vinnytsia Regional State Administration Lidia Didenko explained that the program is planned for 2010 – 14. The main stages are assessing the situation, educating the group of the medics and reforming the field. It foresees the establishment of first-aid centers, and changes in the work organization in primary and secondary levels of medicine. “In order to prepare the project we plan to research how the medics serve the people, and deal with finance centralization,” Didenko said.