Crimea

[bryant.coleman]

This can get interesting:

Exclusive: EU considers ban on deals with banks in Crimea

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/24/us-ukraine-crisis-eu-crimea-idUSBREA3N15O20140424

The European Union may ban transactions with financial institutions in Crimea as part of its response to the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula by Russia last month, an EU document obtained by Reuters showed. EU leaders consider the takeover as illegal and have asked the EU executive arm, the European Commission, to propose economic, trade and financial restrictions on Crimea for rapid implementation.

[Balthazar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCBV7lzr1XY

"Daughter of officer" action in Sebastopol

[Balthazar]

http://polemika.com.ua/news-144160.html

Administrative border between Crimea and Ukraine has been officially converted into state border.

[Nemo1024]

Ukraine now used the same blackmail method as the one they used after the referendum of 1993 to subvert Crimeans, and turned off their water supply. Crimean authorities say they have a reserve source of water:
http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2014/04/26/n_6111901.shtml

[bryant.coleman]

Ukraine now used the same blackmail method as the one they used after the referendum of 1993 to subvert Crimeans, and turned off their water supply. Crimean authorities say they have a reserve source of water

It will take just a few months to construct a water pipeline from the Krasnodar Krai to Crimea. The Ukrainian blackmail tactics are not going to work. The Kiev junta once again showing off what sort of pathetic losers they are.

[Balthazar]

They're just losing another source of money for own budget... It seems that they have a lot of money to support ruined economy, so let them continue.

Crimean authorities say they have a reserve source of water:

yep, two or three tons of TNT would be enough to remove the dam.

[bryant.coleman]

Corrupt oligarch Renat Akhmetov playing dirty tricks once again:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-25/ukraine-s-dtek-says-crimea-power-supply-at-risk-from-nonpayments.html

Ukraine’s DTEK Says Crimea Power Supply at Risk From Debts

DTEK, the Ukrainian energy company led by the nation’s richest man, said customers in Crimea run the risk of power cuts after they didn’t fully pay for electricity they consumed in March.

[247crypto]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz0psoOs2X4

[bryant.coleman]

Kiev nazis never stop complaining:

Crimea Annexation 'Robbed Ukraine Economy of $80bn '

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/crimea-annexation-robbed-ukraine-economy-80bn-1446468

Ukraine's economy has shed $80bn since Russia annexed the Crimea region in March, according to the interim government. Justice minister Pavlo Petrenko said that Kiev would take a case for compensation to the European Court of Human Rights and might also press claims against individuals for military crimes and breaches of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

[Balthazar]

http://ua.for-ua.com/politics/2014/04/29/162437.html

Ukrainian democracy reveals its true face.

[Nemo1024]

http://ua.for-ua.com/politics/2014/04/29/162437.html

Ukrainian democracy reveals its true face.

Yatsenjuk suggests that Ukraine should turn Crimea into "weighted shackles around Russia's feet" by doing an economic and trade blockade. Don't deliver water or electricity under the pretext of technical failures, maintenance, or other. Prohibit trade of 50-70 goods items from Odessa, Herson and Nikolaev regions.

Well, nothing new here. Kiev did exactly that in 1993 after the first referendum proclaiming independence of Crimea. Back then drunkard Yeltsin didn't back Crimea, so it was coerced back into Ukraine and heavily penalised for its insubordination by way of economic blood-letting.
This time it will be different.

[bryant.coleman]

Any truth in this news?

One of the challenges to overcome was a law passed in Ukraine, 2 days before, that no Russian men between the ages of 16 and 60 could come into Ukraine, and no Ukrainian men between 16 and 60 could leave Ukraine - so the park had to find someone over 60 to drive the truck.

http://www.eturbonews.com/45204/ukraine-we-just-had-big-win

[Nemo1024]

I did read some talk before about any "combat-aged" men trying to enter Ukraine being turned back at the border, and any "combat-aged" men, who would seem to try to leave Ukraine (mainly fleeing to Crimea) being retained inside Ukraine. I haven't seen any official statements to that end.

By the way, Pitin might plan to visit Sevastopol on the 9th of May (the President's press secretary said that there yet no such plans in the President's calender).
http://www.forbes.ru/news/256201-putin-mozhet-posetit-sevastopol-9-maya


VAT in Crimea is reduced by 5 times, and will be between 2% for everyday goods (food, medicine, children's clothes) and 4% for the rest (from 20%):
http://ria.ru/economy/20140430/1006020930.html

[bryant.coleman]

I did read some talk before about any "combat-aged" men trying to enter Ukraine being turned back at the border, and any "combat-aged" men, who would seem to try to leave Ukraine (mainly fleeing to Crimea) being retained inside Ukraine. I haven't seen any official statements to that end.

I don't have any problem with the first part. But the second part is suspicious. If the Kiev junta is forcing all the young Ukrainians to join the army or the Right Sector (against their will), then it is going to be bad.

VAT in Crimea is reduced by 5 times, and will be between 2% for everyday goods (food, medicine, children's clothes) and 4% for the rest (from 20%):
http://ria.ru/economy/20140430/1006020930.html

Great... so the Crimeans are seeing their salaries and pensions getting increased by many times, and at the same time the commodity prices are declining.

[niothor]

VAT in Crimea is reduced by 5 times, and will be between 2% for everyday goods (food, medicine, children's clothes) and 4% for the rest (from 20%):
http://ria.ru/economy/20140430/1006020930.html

Great... so the Crimeans are seeing their salaries and pensions getting increased by many times, and at the same time the commodity prices are declining.
[/quote]

And the money will come out of..... bitcoin transactions , right?

[Nemo1024]

And the money will come out of..... bitcoin transactions , right?

From the budget, i.e. the rest of Russia. At least for the first 2-3 years.
In the long run it's an investment to bring this region up to speed after a prolonged decline, so that tourism can blossom, and bring in more into the coffers, even taking lover VAT into account, than what would be the case with high VAT and no-one going to Crimea.

Canary Islands (which geologically and economically similar to Crimea) manage on ~5% IVA, and are doing just fine.
http://www.velascolawyers.com/en/fiscal-law-and-taxes/123-igic-and-ipsi-vat-and-its-equivalent-in-the-canaries-islands-ceuta-and-melilla.html

[bryant.coleman]

From the budget, i.e. the rest of Russia. At least for the first 2-3 years.

Even 2-3 years may not be necessary. A lot of Russian tourists are traveling to Crimea now. Most of them had earlier preferred destinations such as Goa, Egypt & Turkey. Also, a number of casinos are planning to open in Crimea. They will also bring in the much needed revenues.

[niothor]

From the budget, i.e. the rest of Russia. At least for the first 2-3 years.

Even 2-3 years may not be necessary. A lot of Russian tourists are traveling to Crimea now. Most of them had earlier preferred destinations such as Goa, Egypt & Turkey. Also, a number of casinos are planning to open in Crimea. They will also bring in the much needed revenues.

I bet!  Right now it's the perfect time to enter Crimea.
That's why a lot of ships are switching their destination from Crimea (Ialta and Sevastopol) to Constanta.
Currently 7 companies doing cruises have done so , our port is seeing a 25% growth in tourists and this during this time of the year.

There will be no huge influx of Russian tourists to Crimea , the ones that wanted to visit it have already done so , the ones wanting to get out of Russia will still flood Turkey.

[bryant.coleman]

There will be no huge influx of Russian tourists to Crimea , the ones that wanted to visit it have already done so , the ones wanting to get out of Russia will still flood Turkey.

Too early to say that. I have already seen the Goans complaining about Crimea stealing their tourists. But things will become clear in a few months time, when the casinos start operating from Kerch and Sevastopol.

[Nemo1024]

Pensions of the Crimeans are to be increased by 50% to 7900 roubles:
http://ria.ru/crimea_today/20140430/1006057227.html

Average pension in Russian Federation is 11603 roubles.

This is the one of the steps in pension and salary increases in accordance with Prime Minister Medvedev's directive. The plan is:
From the 1st of April pensions were increased by 25% from the initial value (average from 5300 to 6660).
From the 1st of May pensions will be increased by 50% from the initial value
From the 1st of June pensions will be increased by 75% from the initial value
And from the 1st of July pensions will be increased by 100% from the initial value
Also Ukrainian-style pensions are re-indexed into Russian ones, a process that will be completed by 1st of January 2015.