KIEV, March 9 - Arcelor Mittal Kryviy Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region) announced it will increase wages to employees by 2.57% on April 1.

"The increase would concern hourly rates and bonuses – it was announced at a joint meeting of the mill's leadership and trade unions' committee held on March 5," company said.

KIEV, March 5 – Pepsi plans to invest over $50 million in the development of Ukraine's largest juice producer, Sandora Ltd., in 2009.

The funds will be channeled mainly into the development of the production facilities, Sandora's press service told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, March 5 – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank may lend EUR 15 million each under LvivElectroTrans Public Transport Company's investment program.

KIEV, March 5 - Ukraine reduced coal production approximately 10.5% year-on-year in January-February to 11.823 million tons, the Coal Ministry told Interfax.

Coking coal production fell 21.5% to just over 3.7 million tons, and steam coal fell 4.5% to 8.127 million tons.

KIEV, March 6 – Zaporizhia Semiconductor Plant is to obtain a EUR 150 million line of credit from State Export-Import Bank of Ukraine (Ukreximbank).

According to an official report of the company, an agreement on the issue of the credit as a seven-year nonrefundable multicurrency credit line was signed on March 3.

KIEV, March 6 – The worsening market conditions have influenced the staff policy of the largest Ukrainian companies, according to an Ernst & Young (Kiev) study which cited the results of a poll carried out by company experts beginning of this year.

The study included 69 leading companies in various branches, in particular, the consumer goods (29%), trade (12%), the chemical and pharmaceutical industry (10%), banking and investment companies (5%), and others.

LONDON, March 9 – Ukraine's economy may rebound "relatively quickly" next year after a sharp contraction in 2009, helped by exports, according to Frank Gill, Standard & Poor's primary credit analyst.

KIEV, March 9 - The Ukrainian government on Thursday issued a license allowing Ukrgaz-Energo, a 50-50 Russian-Ukrainian joint venture, to distribute natural gas in Ukraine, a government spokesman said.

KIEV, March 9 ??“ Ukrtruboprom, a steel pipe producing association, said new European Union duties on Ukrainian pipes are too high and forecast annual losses of $100 mln for the country??™s pipe industry.

KIEV, March 9 - According to preliminary data, natural gas transit across the territory of Ukraine in January through February 2005 shrank by 4.7% in comparison with the same period in 2004, to 22.5 billion cubic meters, the Fuel and Energy Ministry told Interfax-Ukraine.