A dedicated signing ceremony took place as part of the Association Council Ukraine-EU at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, on December 19, in the presence of the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine/Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv and the Vice-President of the EIB Vazil Hudák.
The EIB signed 4 agreements totaling EUR 600 million of financial assistance to support energy efficiency, higher education, sustainable transport with the Government of Ukraine and only one of them, for the first time in history, with Ukraine’s business entity – NIBULON. The given agreements represent the latest set of loans as part of the European Union’s commitment to Ukraine announced by the EU in March 2014. Thus, the EIB honoured its commitment for the period 2014 – 2016 to provide a EUR 3 billion financial assistance programme to support Ukraine, strengthen its competitiveness, resilience, energy security, and improve the quality of life for Ukrainian citizens. This programme forms part of the EUR 11 billion support package.
It’s noted that supporting the development of the private sector is a key objective of the EU bank. The support to private companies is aimed at creating jobs and improving standard of living of Ukrainian households. In this context, the EU bank is providing financing to foster investment at NIBULON, one of the country’s largest privately owned grain producers and trading company. 
Today, for the first time in 25 years since Ukraine became independent, the EIB allocates money directly to Ukrainian company without guarantees of the state or  banks, only under NIBULON’s financial commitment. This testifies the stable financial status of our company. Having supported NIBULON, the EIB assessed the company’s activity as progressive and successful. 
NIBULON has achieved success and become a leader in agricultural and industrial complex due to trust and cooperation with leading international financial institutions. The first impetus for this purpose was made in 1998, when NIBULON became the first agricultural producer in Ukraine which has received a loan under the support of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). Cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which has been started in 2010, also played a significant role. Given these facts, NIBULON has invested more than USD 1.65 billion in economy of the country.
The loan of EUR 71 million, granted by the EIB, will enable one to form a package of the company’s investments of USD 200 million. The money will be directed to fund NIBULON’s investment project “Development and reconstruction of elevators (construction and equipping the grain storage facilities), construction of transshipment and logistics terminals (construction of tugs) in Ukraine” which will be implemented within 2-3 years.
The project is aimed at creation of sustainable, modern and expanded system for grain storage and transportation. As a result, it is expected to reduce the inland transportation costs as well as increase the annual volume of exported agricultural commodities. The investments will have a positive impact on the environment and employment due to more resource saving inland grain transportation, in particular by substituting road transportation with river transportation through a countrywide network of river terminals and fleet.
In particular, NIBULON’s project covers:
─ construction of up to 10 high-tech elevator complexes, including the ones along the Dnipro River and the Southern Buh River, enabling to bring the  volumes of grain storage to 2.5 million tons;
─ reconstruction of NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard, enabling the company to build up to 15 vessels and process up to 15 thousand tons of metal per year;
─  increase of its cargo fleet deadweight up to 250 thousand tons;
─ increase of river transportation volumes along the Dnipro River and the Southern Buh River to 4 million tons, which, in turn, will enable the state to save UAH 3.16 billion of the state funds for road repair.
This will enable the company to maintain sustainable development, maintain leadership position in agricultural sector of Ukraine, be competitive in job market, and continue to implement social projects.
This investment project is a strategic one not only for NIBULON but for development of the country on the whole. Moreover, it will improve the quality of life for Ukrainian citizens. In particular:
─ UAH 800 million of additional taxes;
─ UAH 700 million to pay salary to builders;
─ more than UAH 150 million of UST;
─ more than UAH 200 million income for construction organizations;  
─ more than 15 thousand of workplaces at construction sites;
─ more than 1,200 additional permanent workplaces at the company;
─ more than 500 additional permanent workplaces at NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard;
─ more than 500 additional permanent workplaces at fleet;
─ UAH 5 billion of additional income for the country’s agricultural sector.
Our company has always maintained the need to grant loans not to the state but directly to business. Today we are the first. This event testifies that transparent activity within the legal environment enables us to involve money of the world leading financial institutions even under difficult economic and political situation in Ukraine. The workplaces will be created and quality of life in Ukraine will be increased this way. This is a real manifestation of our patriotism and loyalty to the state. If honest Ukrainian business is supported the same way, we will accelerate the development of our economy and meet the standards of the EU.
We express our sincere gratitude to the European Union and the European Investment Bank for cooperation and opportunities to develop economy of Ukraine.
We thank the specialists of the European Investment Bank who have worked with us while preparing the given agreement. This cooperation required high professionalism. We are grateful for the experience.
 
Please find the VIDEO of signing ceremony (Brussels, December 19, 2016)