KIEV, Feb. 19 - Fitch Ratings has downgraded ratings of Ukraine Mortgage Loan Finance No. 1 Plc and Ukraine Auto Loan Finance No. 1 Plc issued as a part of deals of Dnipropetrovsk-based PrivatBank on securitization of mortgage credits and car credits.

KIEV, Feb. 18 – Ukrainian investment funds lost an average 9.58% in January, according to the Ukrainian Association of Investment Business.

"The first month of 2008 was difficult and mainly unsuccessful for open joint investment institutions. Almost half of them saw a fall in net assets and a cut in the number of investment certificates bought," association's experts said.

KIEV, Feb. 19 – The China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) and Ukraine's Antonov Design Bureau are working on the creation of a joint aircraft engineering center in Beijing.

KIEV, Feb. 19 – The latest sales of foreign currency on the interbank currency market by the National Bank of Ukraine to satisfy the excess of demand for currency over its supply is not evidence of changes in trends seen in the foreign currency inflow to the country over the past years, according to NBU head, Volodymyr Stelmakh.

KIEV, Feb. 19 – The slowdown in the pace of growth of Ukrainian GDP in January 2008 to 4.9% is mainly linked with the peculiarities of the statistical calculation of the figure and the government's fight with shadow tax schemes, Finance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk told the press on Monday.

KIEV, Feb. 19 ??“ Ukraine??™s high economic growth figure of 9.3% on the year in January is probably explained by a low base in January 2006, according to a report by Alfa Bank.

KIEV, Feb. 19 ??“ The share of Skoda cars on the Ukrainian new car market in January was 6%, while in January 2006 it was 5%, and growth in January was 39.4% compared to January 2006, Eurocar reproted.

KIEV, Feb. 19 ??“ The Kiev City State Administration will announce a tender by early April to select a bank to lead-manage the placement of Eurobonds, Viktor Padalka, the deputy head of the administration, said.

KIEV, Feb. 19 ??“ Ukraine??™s Industrial Union of Donbas is in talks with Gazmetall, a Russian iron ore producer, to create the largest producer of steel in the former Soviet Union, a newspaper reported Monday.

KIEV, Feb. 19 ??“ Stirol Concern plans to upgrade Stirolbiotech in Tripolie in Kiev region to produce 100,000 tons of bio-ethanol per year from molasses, according to the Board Chairman, MP Mykola Yankovsky.