KIEV, Nov. 21 - Ukraine has not changed its stance regarding preserving natural gas tariffs for the population at the existing level, Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Boiko said at a briefing in Kiev on Thursday.

It will be hard for Ukraine to comply with the demands of the International Monetary Fund insisting that gas tariffs for consumers should be increased, Boiko said.

It has been reported that the IMF recommended carrying out considerable in-advance increase of tariffs for gas and heating and to schedule further rise to the level covering net costs.