KIEV, March 31 – The International Monetary Fund has agreed to the need for a more gradual increase in natural gas prices for households and heat suppliers, in particular, increasing them in April by 20% instead of the previously planned 50%, IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Max Alier said.

"The issue [initially] concerned a 50% increase in April, but then we agreed to a gradual increase - by 20% in April and 10% in June," he said at the seventh annual conference of the Dragon Capital investment company in Kiev on Thursday.