The export duty on oil from the Russian Federation may rise to a new record level of 130-133 dollars per tonne from 1 June 2005, Interfax-Ukraine reports. \n \nThis forecast was made on Tuesday, 19 April, by Oleksandr Sakovych, deputy head of the customs payments department of the Russian Ministry of Finance.

Per 10,000 residents of Volyn, there are 9 stores selling food products, 5 selling non-food products, 5 kiosks, and 11 restaurant establishments. In cafes, canteens, bars, and restaurants, there are 685 seats per 10,000 citizens.

The Lutsk Automobile Plant intends to start assembling VAZ-2110 cars by September. This was reported by the Russian company "AvtoVAZ" (Russia), according to Ukrainian News.

Last year, the "Kovelsilmash" plant operated at a profit for the first time in the past six years, despite maintaining a rather significant portion of the social sphere – a preventive care facility and a Palace of Culture and Technology, which do not pay for themselves at all.

Strengthening the hryvnia as a tool for combating inflation could lead to negative consequences, both for price dynamics and in terms of the inflow of long-term investments, believes Serhiy Yaremenko, deputy head of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has improved its forecast for real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Ukraine in 2005 from 6% to 7%, while simultaneously worsening its forecast for average annual inflation in the current year from 9.5% to 12.5%.

Due to the fact that Ukraine is planning to join the world trade organization in the near future, the requirements for products manufactured in our state are increasing. That is why from April 1 to June 1, 2005, certification of dairy product manufacturers is taking place in Volyn.

Not so long ago, the agricultural fields of Polissia and the hearts of farmers began to be conquered by a new crop – triticale. This is a unique hybrid in which the best hereditary qualities of wheat and rye have been successfully combined.

On April 15, First Deputy Head of the Volyn Regional State Administration Bohdan Shyba held a meeting on issues of paying off wage arrears, reports the Department for Internal Policy of the Regional State Administration.

The Cabinet of Ministers on April 14 prematurely redeemed interest-bearing domestic state loan bonds owned by the National Bank in the amount of UAH 800 million, issued in October 2000 in the volume of over UAH 9.5 billion during the restructuring of payments on state bonds owned by the NBU.