KIEV, July 19 - The Cabinet of Ministers at a meeting on Wednesday approved a financial plan of national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrayiny for 2017 with expected net profit of UAH 21.781 billion, which is 17.9% less than in 2016 (UAH 26.529 billion).

KIEV, July 19 - The integration of power grids of Ukraine and of the continental Europe ENTSO-E will help to make domestic power prices lower, Vsevolod Kovalchuk, the head of Ukrenergo, said.

KIEV, July 19 - The Cabinet of Ministers has authorized the Ministry of Finance to prolong the agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on attracting EUR 200 million for financing the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed during the military operations, as well as for resolving the problems of internally displaced persons.

KIEV, July 19 - Ukraine will accept $15 million of Turkish financial assistance to Ukraine in 2017-2021 after the government has approved an agreement with Turkey on military-financial cooperation, the government reported Wednesday.

KIEV, July 19 - Ukraine will seek to improve its international ease of doing business ranking to 70th up from 80th in 2018, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said.

KIEV, July 20 - The Ukrainian government has proposed to Parliament to increase excise duties for alcohol and tobacco products in 2017 by 11.2% as the annual indexation of the excise duties outlined in the Tax Code.

KIEV, July 20 - The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) as further liberalization of currency regulation has relaxed the terms and procedure for the purchase and transfer of foreign currency for some transactions, according to the central bank's website.

KIEV, July 20 - The Ukrainian government on Wednesday has supported creation of two state-owned conglomerates by merging severa; aerospace and parts companies, namely Arsenal-Modern Space Systems and Zirka-Technologies.

KIEV, July 20 - Ukraine, which once relied on anthracite coal for power generation, will be able to do without the commodity in 18 months after losing its all anthracite mines to rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Ihor Nasalyk said.

KIEV, July 19 – The introduction of European standards for cement production in Ukraine would help to restrict opportunities for producing and spreading counterfeit products on the market, Ukrcement cement producers' association CEO Roman Skilsky said.