Daily monitor

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) announced that M0 grew 1.5% MoM in October (22.2% YTD) and reached UAH 173.4 bln (USD 29.9 bln), while M2 grew 0.3% MoM (20.9% YTD) and reached UAH 479.0 bln (USD 82.7 bln).

Ukraine’s Minister of Finance, Viktor Pinzenyk, announced that the first part of the USD 4.5 bln approved IMF standby loan was received by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

According to Kommersant-Ukraine, Zaporizhstal [ZPST UZ, U/R] has negotiated a decrease in iron ore concentrate fine from USD 120 to USD 70 per mt. The newspaper cited Aleksandr Vilkul, the Honorary President of both Central and Pivnichnyy GOK, in reporting this development.

The Cabinet of Ministers has transferred a UAH 25 mln tranche from its national budget to the Zaporizhya City Council’s Executive Committee, earmarked for construction work on a bridge across the Dnepr River in 2008, which is being built as part of overall highway building plans.

Ukrsugar, the Ukrainian Association of Sugar Producers, appealed to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko, requesting a temporary ban on the import of Belarusian sugar from the Free Trade Agreement.

Earlier in November, the Verhovna Rada (Ukraine’s Parliament) adopted the anti-crisis law and priority measures to be taken by the government in order to mitigate the possible negative consequences from the economy’s recession. The adopted legislation introduces changes to the Fixed Agricultural Tax (FAT), effectively abolishing restrictions on its validity until December 31, 2009. In addition, the law preserves the preferential taxation regime regarding the Value Added Tax (VAT) for agricultural producers.

The international holding company 'Group DF' has agreed to purchase over 50% of the shares in Nadra Bank, one of Ukraine's largest banks, the company's press release announces.

The National Committee of Statistics has announced that PPI fell 1.4% MoM in October after a 1.8% MoM drop in September. Therefore, PPI grew 32.1% YTD and 37.7% YoY.

Mostobud [MTBD UZ, BUY] has won four tenders in Romania for the expansion of a 4-lane section of the ‘South Bucharest’ bypass and for the rehabilitation of national roads at the ‘Vyrfule – Stey’ site. The total monetary value of the collective work for these projects is more than EUR 95 mln.

Mostobud [MTBD UZ, BUY] has revealed the core of its domestic bridge-building plans for the next few years, which are to focus on two bridges in the Kyiv Region and one in the city of Kremenchug. This information was revealed by Vladimir Prodivus, the Chairman of Mostobud’s Supervisory Board during the recent conference “Russia and the CIS: prosperity through partnership”.