Олексій Дзюба Hot News 28 January 2025, 13:45

"It will open up new opportunities for Ukrainians who do not use digital tools." Ukrposhta plans to subordinate the bank

A postal bank will be launched in Ukraine.

Today, at a meeting, the government decided to transfer shares of the First Investment Bank, previously owned by Russian oligarchs, to the Ministry of Infrastructure with subsequent transfer to Ukrposhta.

This was announced by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.

“This is how we are creating a postal bank,” he said at a government meeting. According to Shmyhal, Ukrposhta has branches in all corners of the country, so this will open up new opportunities for Ukrainians who do not use digital tools. In particular, receiving assistance, social benefits, ordering goods and medicines will now be within walking distance.

"In addition, this decision will save the state up to UAH 5 billion over the next 3-4 years. We will direct these funds to finance priority budget items," Shmyhal concluded.

As a reminder, the First Investment Bank (PINbank) belonged to Russian businessman Yevgeny Giner. On January 17, 2024, a block of shares of 88.890583% was transferred to the State Property Fund.

The basis was the decision of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court of February 27, 2023, on the claim of the Ministry of Justice regarding the confiscation of these shares as state revenue within the limits of the sanctions applied to the Russian businessman, left unchanged by the resolution of the Appellate Chamber of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court of March 13, 2023.

In December 2023, the State Bureau of Investigation put Giner on the wanted list on suspicion of encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine.

Recall that creating a postal bank in Ukraine is a long-standing idea of Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilyansky. In 2020, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading a law allowing Ukrposhta to provide basic banking services, and at the end of 2021, the Antimonopoly Committee allowed the company to submit documents to the NBU to acquire a small Alpari Bank for UAH 260 million.

In June of the same year, the Antimonopoly Committee approved the deal, but on May 29, 2023, the NBU rejected it due to “deficiencies in the documents.” And already in December 2023, the sole shareholder of Alpari Bank decided to cease the financial institution’s banking activities without terminating the legal entity. The bank actually ceased such activities on May 14, 2024.

Ukrposhta has entered into a strategic partnership with Temu after delivering 15 million parcels from the Chinese marketplace

Nova Poshta plans to conquer the American market as early as 2025. The company's co-founder announced his immediate plans