WARSAW, April 25 - Ukraine needs to break apart monopolies and sell off state-owned firms to transform itself into a well-functioning capitalist economy, a newly-appointed Polish adviser to the Ukrainian president said on Monday, Reuters reported.

Leszek Balcerowicz was the author of the "shock therapy" administered to Poland when he was finance minister between 1989-1991 and oversaw its successful transition to a market economy. Critics accuse him of selling off too many state firms and making Poland too reliant on foreign capital.