KIEV, Dec. 24 - Amendments to the law on tender state purchases, which should be made as soon as possible, could improve medical services for the public, Volodymyr Symonenko, a member of the advisory council following the parliamentary committee for healthcare, said at a roundtable in Kiev.

KIEV, Dec. 25 - Western Union, effective Dec. 17, has cut tariffs on money transfers from Ukraine to Russia and the CIS countries by 30% on average, according to company spokesman Mykhailo Babirenko.

KIEV, Dec. 25 - Krasnodonvuhillia in Luhansk region has started industrial tests of a container gas-utilizing plant at the Molodohvardiyska mine.

The company said that tests are conducted in the light of a project on degassing and utilization of methane at the Molodohvardiyska mine, which Krasnodonvuhillia is realizing jointly with Ukrainian-German Kyiv-based Eko-Alliance Ltd.

KIEV, Dec. 25 - The International Finance Corporation will lend $100 million to the Industrial Union of Donbas (IUD) and arrange a syndicated loan worth $250 million for modernization, improvement in competitiveness and implementation of environmental programs at the group's enterprises.

Kyiv, Dec. 25 -Average annual inflation in Ukraine in 2008 could be 14-15%, according to Director of the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting Ihor Burakovsky.

KIEV, Dec. 25 ??“ AeroSvit-Ukrainian Airlines will begin regular direct flights from Kiev to Shanghai of China from June 2007, the company's press service reported.

KIEV, Dec. 25 ??“ National telecoms operator Ukrtelekom is to raise $200 million in the first quarter of 2007 for the construction of a 3G (UMTS/WCDMA) network, Ukrtelecom CEO Heorgiy Dzekon said in an interview with Biznes weekly, published on Monday.

KIEV, Dec. 26 ??“ The State Commission for Securities and Stock Market of Ukraine (SCSSM) has registered the second issue of certificates worth $100 million by Parex Asset Management Ukraine (PAM Ukraine) - Parex Ukrainian Real Estate Fund, the assets management company and the manager of pension funds, the fund told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 26 ??“ UkrGaz-Energo rejected earlier plans to sign deals on oil refining at Ukrainian refineries and selling fuel in 2007, suggesting a major cut in earnings for the company.

KIEV, Dec. 26 ??“ The interest rates on mortgage credits in Ukraine in 2006 have remained high, and have not fallen during the year, according to a Prostobank Consulting report.