\n \nPrime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko recommends that the population keep savings in hryvnias. She said this at a press conference. \n \nAccording to her, the Cabinet of Ministers is initiating a liberalization of exchange-rate policy, characterized by the absence of a rigid peg of the hryvnia to the dollar, and expects, as a result of these measures, a strengthening of the hryvnia exchange rate against the dollar and the euro. \n \n"It is better to keep savings in hryvnias... You will be able to buy more dollars," she said. \n \nFinance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk also noted that the current situation is characterized by a depreciation of the dollar, which makes it not an optimal currency for keeping savings. Pynzenyk also assessed possible future steps toward exchange-rate liberalization as an anti-inflation decision. \n \n"To let the hryvnia go, to let the exchange rate go - is one of the anti-inflation decisions," he said. \n \nAs reported, the Ministry of Economy forecasts that in 2005 the hryvnia exchange rate will fluctuate at the level of 5.0-5.1 hryvnias per dollar. The hryvnia exchange rate on the interbank market on March 10 strengthened by 0.05 kopiykas from 5.2855 to 5.2850 hryvnias per dollar. The NBU raised the official hryvnia exchange rate set by it as of March 11-13 by 0.04 kopiykas to 5.2971 hryvnias per dollar. \n \nSince the beginning of the current year, the hryvnia exchange rate on the interbank market has strengthened by 0.39% from 5.3056 hryvnias per dollar. Over 2004, the hryvnia exchange rate on the interbank market strengthened by 0.48% from 5.3310 hryvnias per dollar; over 2003, the hryvnia on the interbank market strengthened by 0.1% from 5.3365 hryvnias per dollar. \n \n \n