TABLE-Key facts on Ukraine's currency and finances
Oct 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko expressed confidence on Monday that talks with the International Monetary Fund would prove successful. Officials have suggested the IMF could lend a sum ranging from $10-14 billion.
For an overview of key political and economic facts about Ukraine, click on [ID:nLK279955]. Following are more details.
FOREIGN DEBT
(In $ billion)
July 1, 2008 April 1, 2008 July 1, 2007 FOREIGN DEBT 100.062 92.533 65.285 government debt 14.873 15.135 12.745 central bank debt 0.290 0.329 0.665 commercial banks 38.453 33.900 21.205
* short-term 12.814 12.080 8.232 other sectors 42.719 39.830 28.572
* short term 15.396 14.003 9.932 direct investments 3.727 3.339 2.098
* The central bank has said it expects banking sector debt worth $1-1.2 billion maturing in the final quarter of this year.
* Citi analysts estimate the 2009 external financing requirement to be $55-66 billion, of which $32-40 billion is in the private sector. Foreign banks own 40-42 percent of total banking assets and 25 percent of short-term banking debt is owed to parent banks.
CENTRAL BANK RESERVES
Sept 30 '08 $37.5 billion
Aug 31 '08 $38 billion
Dec 31 '07 $32.5 billion
* Central bank has said end-Sept foreign exchange reserves covered 3.7 months of imports.
CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT
C/A Trade gap
deficit for goods
H1 '08 (07) $bln 6.8 (1.7) 7.9pct/GDP 9.8 (4.2)
Q1 '08 (07) $bln 3.6 (1.2) 4.6 (1.7)
2007 (06) $bln 5.9 (1.6) 4.2pct/GDP 11.4 (6.7)
9mo 07 (06) $bln 2.2 (0.3) 6.7 (4.3)
* Analysts based outside Ukraine forecast its current account deficit at $21-25 billion, or 10-12 percent of gross domestic product, by year-end; Ukraine-based analysts give lower forecasts of about 6 percent of GDP.
HRYVNIA UAH= CHRONOLOGY
interbank council's
rate/$ corridor/$ what happened?
-----------------------------------------
Oct 8 '08 5.9 4.554-5.346 hryvnia hits all time low
Oct 7 '08 5.55 4.554-5.346 council sets new band
Jul 4 '08 4.56 4.656-5.044 council sets new band
May 22 '08 4.485 4.95-5.25 official rate changed
Feb 4 '08 5.048 4.95-5.25 typical rate since May '05
Dec 2004 5.3 presidential poll after
"Orange" revolution
May 2003 5.6 previous record low
Sep 1998 4.0 currency crisis,
hryvnia weakens above 4/$
Sep 1996 1.76 birth of the hryvnia
* The hryvnia currency hit an all-time low of 5.9/$ on Oct. 8, weakened by growing global risk aversion and regional tensions after Russia's conflict with Georgia.
* In mid-2008 the hryvnia had strengthened as far 4.5/$, after the central bank abandoned a policy of keeping it in a corridor of 5.00-5.06 per dollar within a 4.95-5.25 band.
* The central bank's council and executive board have sent mixed messages about future actions and clashed in May over revaluing the hryvnia's official rate. The board appears to take less notice of the currency band, set by the council. (Compiled by Sabina Zawadzki; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
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