Industry consultations - Transport-Logistics-Automotive - Reconstruction of Ukraine

Tomasz Salomon, Director of the Department of Trade and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Development and Technology, welcoming the participants, emphasized the enormity of the work carried out by PAIH’s office in Kiev, to coordinate activities between Poland and Ukraine.

I hope that today's next consultations in the series will provide you with a lot of knowledge and experience that will result in your business effectively entering our neighbour’s country - said Tomasz Salomon.

PAIH’s Management Board Member Grzegorz Oszast spoke about a noticeable upward trend in the number of Polish companies in Ukraine. He added that this is a slow phenomenon, while the goal is to increase the presence of our business on the local market. He reminded everyone that although the current war conditions are very difficult, it is a very absorptive market, able to accommodate any investment that will be made there.

Thanks to the long border with Ukraine, Poland has become a hub for the distribution of many goods from all industries. Today, transport through Poland is of key importance for Ukraine. We are aware that it is possible to further improve efficiency at border crossings to facilitate customs clearance and thus speed up the transport of goods - said Grzegorz Oszast.

He stressed that the Agency’s role is to ensure that entrepreneurs receive as much useful information as possible when entering a new market, contact with new partners and institutions and a presence in Ukraine.

Maria Pelekh from the Ports and Bridges Company of Ukraine expressed her thanks for the support shown to Ukraine by Poland. She informed that as a result of hostilities, navigation vessels necessary for the functioning of ports have been destroyed or stolen. She added, that there is also a need to modernize and digitize traffic control centres on the waters and the purchase of multi-purpose vessels that can carry out various tasks such as towing, servicing other vessels and transporting people.

We want transport from Ukrainian ports to be carried out in an efficient manner and have increasing potential, despite the existing difficulties. We support the development of ports on the Danube, because they are our surest transport window - said Maria Pelekh.

Wiktor Dovhan, project manager of the Mostyska Dry Port technology park, said that the Ukrainian side has identified priority areas for rapid reconstruction of the country in the coming years. He added, that the plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine was already prepared during the first, active phase of the war. He also added, that more representatives of Polish business are being persuaded to enter the Ukrainian market.

Participants from the Ukrainian side admitted that the activity of Polish companies from the logistics industry is now much greater than before the war. They gave the following reasons for this - Poland’s proximity to Ukraine as the closest neighbour and cultural similarities. They emphasized that thanks to Poland, Ukraine receives a huge amount of humanitarian aid. Poland also transports significant goods, such as fuels, building materials and fertilizers. It was added that due to the war losses of Ukraine, economic opportunities with Poland will be necessary for the functioning of Ukraine, therefore, economic exchange will increase significantly.

Daria Sichkar from the Association of Ukrainian Business informed that from the point of view of the organization, projects related to the modernization of infrastructure adjacent to transport routes connecting Ukraine with the EU are very important. To this end, it is necessary to develop the railway network with tracks of European standard and to carry out the reconstruction of railway lines and the creation of new transitional stations. It is estimated that the cost of this undertaking will amount to over UAH 1.5 billion. Currently, a feasibility study is also being carried out for the construction of a European track on the Kiev - Mostyska line. Daria Sichkar also pointed out that the creation of intermodal terminals will be of great importance for the efficient operation of logistics and transport. Even before the outbreak of the war, the law on multimodal transport was adopted in Ukraine, giving the possibility of creating transport hubs. The Ukrainian side, envisages the introduction of simpler transport procedures not only for Ukrainian, but also for Polish business.

The guests emphasized that they want the principle of free competition in infrastructure projects to work and for laws to deregulate the passenger transport market to be created. The offer of support from all companies operating in the PFR Group was presented by the moderator of the meeting, Tetiana Chuzha from PAIH’s Foreign Trade Office in Kiev.

Photo gallery: