NEQSOL Holding plans to continue increasing capital investments in the development of the Vodafone Ukraine mobile network in 2024. The company is also interested in acquiring assets in Ukraine in the construction materials and oil sectors, according to Pavlo Levchenko, Senior Investment Advisor at NEQSOL Holding Ukraine, speaking at the annual New Voice event in Kyiv.
"Despite challenging times, we will continue to increase current capital investments to support the restoration and development of the network (Vodafone Ukraine). For example, in 2023, we increased current capital expenditures by approximately 80%, and the volume for 2022-2023 amounted to over 7 billion hryvnias," said Levchenko.
He emphasized that NEQSOL Holding is a reliable partner for both the state and its customers.
"As NEQSOL Holding, a foreign strategic investor continuing to look for interesting and potential assets for investment in Ukraine, we spent 2023 in finding a balance between demand and supply at a price," Levchenko said.
According to him, the company is exploring assets in the "construction materials" sector but is also open to finding new segments that could be interesting and allow it to expand its portfolio. Additionally, oil assets are in focus for the company.
"Regarding oil: oil is a component of our portfolio, so there is no reason not to consider such assets... both with private investors and with the state," Levchenko stated.
An investment advisor at NEQSOL Holding Ukraine has urged the state to resume significant privatization efforts. He emphasized that the government could set a good example and restore privatization to revive the market. He stated that strategic investors, like NEQSOL Holding, bring continuous benefits beyond the initial acquisition by making ongoing investments in modernization, entering new markets, and enhancing the assets, leading to job creation and increased tax revenues.
Furthermore, NEQSOL Holding's offices in Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and headquarters in Amsterdam are in constant communication with potential investors interested in becoming co-investors and exploring the company's programs. Their main conditions for entering Ukraine include low-risk insurance, restoring bank financing (leverage), and project finance.
The advisor mentioned that if these elements work, they believe the strategy will succeed. In 2024, NEQSOL Holding hopes to achieve a balance between demand and supply for both state and private assets.
NEQSOL Holding operates in various high-tech sectors, including oil and gas, telecommunications, construction, in the UK, the US, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, UAE, and Bangladesh. The group entered the telecommunications sector in the early 2000s, and Vodafone Ukraine became part of NEQSOL Holding in December 2019.
