Daily monitor

ArcelorMittal Kryvyy Rih [KSTL UZ, U/R] increased crude steel output to 263 thsd mt in December, according to Metal Courier estimates, which is up 23% MoM but, nevertheless, as much as 51% below the average 11M08 level of 542 thsd mt per month.

Dnipropetrovsk Iron & Steel Works named after Petrovsky [DMZP UZ, U/R], or Petrovka, dropped crude steel output to 44 thsd mt in December, according to Metal Courier estimates, which is down 28% MoM and as much as 54% below the average 11M08 level of 95 thsd mt per month.

According to Metal Courier estimates, Dniprovsky Iron & Steel Works named after Dzerzhinsky, or simply Dzerzhynka [DMKD UZ, U/R], produced 338 thsd mt of steel in December, which is up 64% MoM and even 24% above the 11M08 monthly average of 272 thsd mt.

Azovstal [AZST UZ, U/R] is expected to have decreased crude steel output by just 1% MoM in December to 206 thsd mt, according to Metal Courier. This is 57% below the 11M08 average of 481 thsd mt.

In December, Alchevsk ISW [ALMK UZ, U/R] smelted 283 thsd mt of crude steel, according to estimates by Metal Courier. December’s volume is 10% up MoM, but still 45% below the 11M08 average of 376 thsd mt.

On December 25, 2008, the electricity generation company Dniproenergo [DNEN UZ, BUY] launched its unit #10, with a 282 MW capacity, at the Kryvyy Rih Fossil-Fuelled Power Plant FFPP).

According to Interfax, at a meeting on Saturday, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers took a decision barring banks from confiscating the apartments of citizens that were bought under loan agreements with banks if, at least, the amount covering the interest on those loans is repaid.

The Zaporizhya-based Motor Sich [MSICH UZ, BUY] company – the largest producer of aviation jets and gas-turbine units in the CIS – now faces two key risks, which are lack of money amongst buyers and its exports to Russia, according to recent news by Umgk.info news portal.

On Friday, Ukraine's Parliament passed the law “On preventing the international financial crisis from hindering the construction sector in Ukraine”, which amends a series of laws.

The Ukrainian Parliament has passed the 2009 budget on Friday, December 26, 2008. The bill was supported by 226 MPs, exactly the number needed to pass the budget.