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For the first time in two decades, the head of the Israeli government visited Kyiv to discuss, among other things, the introduction of the free trade zone between the two countries, the resigning Prime Minister Groysman promised fellow citizens an average wage of $540 as early as next year, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to reduce electricity tariffs for businesses, while Naftogaz offered the population to buy gas for the winter at summer prices – these are the main economic developments of the outgoing week.

The hryvnia for almost two months has been performing at its three-year max, while the effect of one of the key factors – the purchase of government bonds by non-residents – is weakening. Deputy NBU Governor Oleh Churii told UNIAN about the hryvnia's prospects for this autumn, the threat of a recurrence of the 2008 crisis, a new IMF program, debts, and operations of non-residents with government bonds.

Volodymyr Groysman held the last meeting of his Cabinet. He bragged about how he raised the economy and addressed his successors with recommendations. At the same time, nothing was said about public debt, which, not without his participation, will put a heavy burden on the new government and the Ukrainians.

The State Statistics Service reported on a faster growth of the Ukrainian economy in 1H 2019, the Cabinet allowed reducing electricity tariffs for industrial enterprises, and non-residents suspended the purchase of Ukrainian government loan bonds – these are the main economic developments of the outgoing week.

Poor organization of the application process, many hours of wait, discrimination, an inexhaustible list of documents to justify the purpose and conditions of the trip, and cases of corruption ... British, American and Ukrainian experts talk about problems with obtaining a Ukrainian type D visa.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the priority steps of Ukraine authorities to boost economic development. UNIAN has learned about the expected transformations awaiting the country in the near future.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised to accelerate Ukraine’s economic growth and launch a full-fledged land market in 2020, Naftogaz announced another reduction in gas tariffs for the households, and water utility companies several weeks after the start of the electricity market reform demanded that electricity tariffs be reviewed, threatening to introduce hourly water supplies – these are the main economic developments of the outgoing week.

Naftogaz, in its lawsuit, told The Hague court that the estimated losses from the seizure by Russia of the group’s assets in Crimea stood at $5.2 billion. Naftogaz expects that the international tribunal will hand down a verdict no earlier than late 2020. UNIAN learned whether the state-owned company would be able to receive compensation from the Kremlin, even if the court’s awards are in favor of Ukraine.

The Ministry of Regional Development reported on Ukraine’s readiness for the heating season, non-residents' demand for domestic government bonds strengthened the hryvnia, while the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development allocated a number of loans to Ukraine, including EUR 250 million for municipalities to buy new vehicles – these are the main economic news of the past week.

The main intrigue of the next month is what the new government will be like and who will lead it. The fate of the format of the Cabinet of Ministers is exclusively in the hands of the Servant of the People party that won in the early parliamentary elections. And it depends on the "government" decisions of this political force whether Ukraine can finally become economically strong.

Naftogaz of Ukraine promised in August to significantly reduce gas prices, the State Statistics Service reported a decline in industrial production in June, while the hryvnia strengthened on the outcome of parliamentary elections – these are the main economic developments of the outgoing week.

The outcome of the early parliamentary election to the Verkhovna Rada shows that five parties have made it to Parliament. All of them are political forces with distinctive leaders. That is, the Ukrainians again voted for specific "persons" and public promises, not for action plans. Although it is the action plan, especially its economic aspects, that will reflect on the wallets of every citizen.

The National Bank announced improved economic development forecasts and decided to reduce the key rate, the Ministry of Finance held this year's record placement of domestic government loan bonds, while the renewed customs agency received official status and began its work – these are the key economic news of the outgoing week.

Russia is further upping the stakes on the issue of releasing Ukrainian POWs. The latest episode in the dramatic story is the extension of custody term for Ukrainian sailors captured near the Kerch Strait on Nov 25, 2018.

Last week, the cruel sentence of the Italian court for the Ukrainian National Guard, ATO veteran Vitaly Markiv, caused a real shock wave. He received 24 years of imprisonment instead of 17 for ... possible complicity in the murder of the Italian photo reporter Andrea Rocchelli in Donbas. The verdict to the Ukrainian military will be appealed, but the Markiv case is not the only trial initiated against the Ukrainian military abroad.

After watching the "Chernobyl" series, many in Ukraine did not agree with the author's reading of those events. People said many things were made up. Meanwhile, one British scriptwriter criticized the authors for not having any PoC actors. People on social networks immediately mocked this remark, because most believed it was unlikely that any soldiers of color ever served in the Soviet forces. However, the ridicule proved to be wrong as there actually was one soldier of another race on the response team! UNIAN was able to find this man.

A new model of the energy market started operating in Ukraine, the National Bank went for another forex deregulation for businesses, while the Cabinet approved First Deputy Minister of Economy Maksym Nefyodov at the post of the country's chief customs officer, handing him an "order" to start war against shadow businesses – these are the main economic news of the outgoing week.

The new customs chief has been appointed. It's former first deputy minister of economic development and trade, Maksym Nefyodov. A young official with a reputation of a reformer announced large-scale changes to turn customs into a European-style body without corruption and with full digitalization of control routine.

New Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Serhii Deineko, sat down with UNIAN to tell about dealing with the lines on the border, prospects for tackling corruption in the agency, and his priority tasks in office.

The Cabinet has managed to complete the contest for the post of new head of the customs service and after two months of judicial struggle appointed reformer Maksym Nefyodov to this position, the State Statistics Service reported a slowdown in industrial output, while the National Bank announced the introduction of a new UAH 1,000 banknote and a withdrawal from circulation of small coins – these are the main economic news of the outgoing week.