KIEV, June 21 ??“ The Economy Ministry forecasts a 3% rise in Ukraine's industrial output from January to June 2006 year-over-year, whereas its previous forecast for the period was 2%.

"In the first half of the year, industrial output growth is expected at 3%, while the forecast for nine months of the year is 3.5-3.8%," the ministry said in a posting on its official Web site.