KIEV, Dec. 27 - Ukrgazvydobuvannia, a subsidiary of Naftogaz Ukrayiny, and Chevron Corp., the second largest U.S. oil company, have discussed the joint development of unconventional gas fields, the company's press service has reported.

KIEV, Dec. 28 – The deficit of Ukraine's balance of payment in 2011 is expected at only $100 million, according to the monetary and credit policy for next year submitted by the National Bank of Ukraine to Parliament.

KIEV, Dec. 28 – Active imports of meat to Ukraine at dumping prices has led to the suspension of some investment projects in the breeding sector and stoppage of some poultry and pork farms.

KIEV, Dec. 25 – The share of bad credit in portfolios of Ukrainian banks in December will pick up to 9.5-9.7% from 8.8% seen in November, according to Dmytro Borodai, an analyst of the Phoenix Capital Investment Company.

KIEV, Dec. 28 - Actual year-on-year wages in Ukraine fell in November by 5.8%, while in November 2008 it went down by 0.2% year-over-year, the State Statistics Committee reported last week.

KIEV, Dec. 26 - UkrNafta, the biggest oil producer in Ukraine, might see gas production decline 2.2% in 2008, the company said.

UkrNafta produced 3.043 billion cubic meters (bcm) year-to-date as of Dec. 18, which fully meets the target for the year. Production in the remaining days of the year is planned at 0.125 bcm.

KIEV, Dec. 26 – Parliament has voted to the excise duty on cars as much as tenfold, depending on the engine capacity, and to revise a tax on passenger car owners.

A total of 236 MPs supported the law on Dec. 25.

KIEV, Dec. 25 – Krasnoyarsk mining and chemical combine (Russia) has informed Ukrainian nuclear energy company EnergoAtom of plans to increase rates of its spent nuclear fuel removal and storage services by 16% in 2009, EnergoAtom director for economic issues Mykola Rachyn said at a meeting of Ukraine's National Electricity Regulatory Commission on Thursday.

KIEV, Dec. 25 – The volume of the media advertising market in 2009 will fall by 14%, to UAH5.83 billion, according to a research of the All-Ukrainian Advertising Coalition (AUAC).

According to the group, this year the market grew by 17%, to UAH6.78 billion, instead of a planned 25,% because of a fall in the fourth quarter and a lower share of political advertising compared to 2007.

KIEV, Dec. 25 – Ukrainian experts have forecast that the price of gas for Ukraine in 2009 will be $250 per 1,000 cu.m., according to a poll conducted by the Center for Corporate Relations Studies on Dec. 17-18.

Fifteen experts in the economy, energy and gas business were polled.