On November 9, Leonid Kuchma signed Decree No. 1381/2004, according to which the investment program of the Lutsk Automobile Plant was restored. In accordance with the document, Presidential Decree of Ukraine No. 1132/2003 of October 1, 2003 "On the Cancellation of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1473 of September 17, 2004" is recognized as having lost effect. The investment program for the production of trucks and buses at OJSC "Lutsk Automobile Plant" was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on September 17, 2003. The main investor and technical partner of the investment program is Isuzu Motors. Within the framework of the program, it was envisaged to create full-scale production of trucks, buses and the first domestic jeep LuAZ-1301 at LuAZ, on the basis of which a whole family of all-wheel-drive light-duty trucks was also developed. The investment was to amount to $100 million. A third of this sum had already been utilized by LuAZ at the time of the cancellation by Presidential Decree of October 1, 2003 of the enterprise's investment program as such that does not comply with WTO norms. In addition, according to the Presidential Decree "On Measures to Accelerate Ukraine's Accession to the WTO" of November 18, 2003, the government was to stop approving investment programs of automakers until the relevant legislation of Ukraine is harmonized with WTO norms. But despite this Decree, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the investment program of the Kremenchuk Auto Assembly Plant, leaving LuAZ as the only leading automaker of Ukraine that cannot enjoy the preferences and benefits provided for in the Law "On Stimulating the Production of Automobiles in Ukraine." On October 20, more than 100 employees of the Lutsk Automobile Plant and "Cherkasy Bus" picketed the Presidential Administration, demanding the restoration of LuAZ's investment program. The picketing continued until Leonid Kuchma canceled Decree No. 1132/2003. The restoration of the investment program of the Lutsk Automobile Plant will enable the enterprise to purchase the equipment necessary for setting up the production of trucks and buses. In addition, the implementation of the investment program will significantly increase the share of domestic trucks on the market, which currently stands at less than 5%. In the 9 months of 2004, LuAZ produced 17 thousand automobiles, which is almost a third more than for all of 2003. To date, LuAZ is part of the Industrial and Investment Holding "Bohdan" and actively cooperates with the Japanese company Isuzu Motors on setting up the production of trucks and buses. On April 20, 2004, the "Bohdan" holding concluded a general cooperation agreement with Isuzu Motors and the trading house Sojitz ("Sojitz"). It is expected that Isuzu Motors will soon resume investment in LuAZ's investment program in full.

\nYaroslav Andrushko, head of the press center of OJSC "LuAZ"