KIEV, July 27 – The National Communications Regulatory Commission (NCRC) has refused to issue permission to mobile operators UMC and Kyivstar to provide fixed communications services through call divert of calls received on mobile phones.

UZHHOROD, July 30 – The Fuel and Energy Ministry is to boost work to reconstruct existing and build new small-scale hydro-power plants in Ukraine, primarily in Zakarpattia region, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported.

KIEV, July 30 – France's AXA Insurance Company and Kharkiv-based UkrSibbank, the daughter bank of BNP Paribas, which jointly control Kiev-based Ukrainian Insurance Alliance, have reached agreement on the acquisition of a 99% stake in Kiev-based Vesko, the sixth-largest property and casualty insurance company in Ukraine.

KIEV, July 30 – Kremenchuk-based UkrTatNafta, Ukraine's major oil refiner, has concluded a contract with a new oil supplier - Tekhnoprogres Ltd., UkrTatNafta Chairman Serhiy Hlushko told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, July 30 – Under an appeal of the State Property Fund, the Kiev Economic Court has cancelled a 2003 privatization agreement to sell a 90.25% stake in Mykolayiv-based Black Sea Shipyard due to the non-fulfillment of its conditions.

KIEV, July 27 ??“ Political uncertainty is impeding the appearance of investment companies on Ukraine's real state market, Managing Director of the First Ukrainian Development (FUD) Yefim Borodulin told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, July 27 ??“ The suspension of Turkmen gas supplies to Russia in connection with repairs to the Central Asia ??“ Center gas pipeline had no impact on the supply of natural gas to Ukraine, an official said.

KIEV, July 27 - Foreign investment in the Ukrainian banking sector amounted to a tentative $430 million in the first half of 2006, Valeriy Lytvytsky, head of an advisor group for the head of the National Bank of Ukraine, said.

KIEV, July 27 - Ukraine posted current account deficit of $900 million (2.1% of GDP) in the first half of 2006, compared with a surplus of $2.2 billion (6.4% of GDP) in the same period of 2005, the National Bank of Ukraine reported.

KIEV, July 28 ??“ Most Ukrainian enterprises expect the hryvnia exchange rate to the U.S. dollar to remain stable, according to a posting on the official Web site of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).