KIEV, Nov. 24 ??“ Parliament??™s passage of a law allowing foreign bank branches to open in Ukraine does not threaten the national market and if the state wants to retain influence it should increase capitalization of state banks, a National Bank of Ukraine official said.

KIEV, Nov. 24 ??“ Kiev City state administration is using a credit from the World Bank to smooth the work of the heating and energy supply economy in the capital during the fall and winter period, according to the administration's press service.

KIEV, Nov. 24 ??“ Foreign investment in the economy of Kiev region from January through September was $223 million, 3.2 times more than the same period of 2005, the head of the Kiev regional state administration, Vera Ulianchenko, said in Kiev on Thursday.

KIEV, Nov. 24 ??“ Kiev-based Sokrat Investment and Finance Group and Poland's Capital One Advisers finance company have signed an agreement on cooperation in conducting an initial public offering (IPO) for Ukrainian companies on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE), the board chairman of the Polish company Advisers Marcin Duszynski said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine in Kiev on Thursday.

KIEV, Nov. 24 ??“ Finland's Evli Bank Plc by the end of 2006 is to create a new direct investment fund named Evli New Republics to invest mostly into Kazakhstan and Ukraine, as well as to other CIS countries, apart from Russia.

KYIV, Oct 25 – The consumer confidence index (CCI) of Ukrainians in September decreased by 2.1 points compared to August and amounted to 82.8 points (index values range from 0 to 200), according to a study of Info Sapiens.

KYIV, Oct 26 – The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food predicts that Ukrainian farmers will sow 5-7% less winter crops than last year, and exports via the sea corridor will reach 1 million tons by the end of October, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotsky said during the national telethon.

KYIV, Oct 26 – The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) decided to lower the key policy rate by 4 percentage points from October 27, to 16% per annum, while the majority of market players expected a decrease of 2 percentage points, to 18%, while rates on overnight and three-month certificates of deposit and refinancing loans will remain at the same level.

KYIV, Oct 26 – Avdiyivka Coke and Chemical Plant, part of Metinvest Group and has been in cold conservation mode since May of this year, can be restored after 8-10 months of intensive repairs, Yuriy Ktsynenko, the general director of the enterprise, believes.

KYIV, Oct 26 – Ukrainian traders D.Trading LLC, ERU LLC and state trader JSC Energy Company of Ukraine after the cancellation of electricity exports to Europe began testing the possibilities of electricity imports, starting with Slovakia, according to the results of daily auctions held by NPC Ukrenergo for the sale of interstate cross-section from this country.