According to the latest estimate by Ukraine’s Ministry of the Economy and European Integration, the following macroeconomic indices are expected to rise in 2001: GDP by 8.2% (against the planned 7.3%), industrial output by 14.3%, agricultural output by 10%, real wages and salaries by 19.5%, and other monetary public incomes of the population by 7.7%. Even taking into account the insignificant devaluation in the fourth quarter because of a lower positive trade balance, the hryvnia/dollar average yearly exchange rate and the inflation rate will be 5.38 and 6% by the end of the year. This was announced on November 15 by Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of the Economy Liudmyla Musina in her speech at the International Forum of Business and Financial Circles in Kyiv. She said the ministry forecasts that in 2002 GDP will grow by 6%, industrial output by 7%, and agricultural output by 3.8%, with the inflation rate at 9.8%. The main factor conducive to growth, according to Ms. Musina, will be a 19% increase of investments in fixed assets, which will boost total investment to UAH 34 billion.
