KYIV, March 1 - The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), after keeping the refinancing rate at 6% per annum for nine months, on March 4 will increase it by 50 basis point, or 0.5 percentage points, to 6.5%, according to poll of bank analysts.

"Taking into account the prospect of accelerating inflation in Ukraine and the rhetoric of the National Bank, the most likely increase in the refinancing rate on March 4 up to 6.5% per annum," head of the analytical department of Alfa Bank Oleksiy Blinov said.