KIEV, May 25 – Only 20% of the total number of banks at which temporary administrations have been introduced have managed to restore normal activities, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.

KIEV, May 22 – Ukrainian experts in May have worsened their forecast for the fall of Ukraine's real GDP in 2009 to 11.3%.

"In March we predicted a 9% fall in real GDP, in April we reviewed the forecast down to 10.2%, and in May changed it to 11.3%," says the monthly consensus forecast made by 16 finance and research organizations presented at a round table meeting organized by the Expert magazine.

KIEV, May 22 – The Economy Ministry suggestion to amend the bill "On Production Sharing Agreements" and limit the size of subsurface sites that can be leased under a Production Sharing Agreement to 1,000 square meters would discourage potential investment in the Black Sea continental shelf, President of the Vanco Prykerchenska Ltd (British Virgin Isles) Jim Bown stated.

KIEV, May 25 - South Korea's KIA Motors is interested in setting up the assembly of its Krauft cars at Zaporizhia Car Plant, Industry Minister Volodymyr Novitsky said during a phone-in talk at the cabinet.

He said that talks between the prospective Ukrainian and Korean partners were held recently.

KIEV, May 25 - Zaporizhia titanium magnesium mill state company, which is under the management of the Ukrainian Industry Ministry, has agreed with representatives of Chinese companies to sign framework contracts for the supply of 200 tons of titanium plates by the end of 2009 and the provision of container supplies of 500 tons of sponge titanium in May and June 2009.

KIEV, May 25 – The need for investment in the technical re-equipment of the Ukrainian shipbuilding sector over the next five-to-seven years is estimated at some UAH 20 billion, Industry Minister Volodymyr Novitsky said during a phone talk at the cabinet.

KIEV, May 22 – The deficit of the current account of Ukraine's balance of payments, taking into account the strengthening of the hryvnia exchange rate, could be around $20 billion in 2008, according to the deputy head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Oleksandr Savchenko.

KIEV, May 22 – The revaluation of Ukraine's national currency, the hryvnia, is a first step to curbing inflation, yet non-monetary measures are also needed, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services believes.

KIEV/MOSCOW, May 23 - Severstal Metiz, the metal ware division of Russian steel major Severstal, plans to invest $27.4 million in its Ukrainian unit Dniprometiz in the period to 2012, said Dniprometiz General Director Dmytro Serheyev.

KIEV, May 23 - Azerbaijan agreed to supply 470,000 tons of Caspian Sea crude to fill Ukraine’s Odessa-Brody pipeline to replace the Russian oil that currently fills the pipeline, President Viktor Yushchenko said Friday.