KIEV, Dec. 24 – The government on Monday appointed Oleh Dubyna, a former deputy prime minister and currently a steel industry executive, as the chairman of Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the national oil and gas company.

Dubyna’s task will include streamlining finances of Naftogaz, which is facing a major financial crunch and pressure from creditors due to poor management and steep hike prices of in natural gas imports in 2006 and 2007.