Ukraine’s international reserves increase to $18.8 bln in 2017 - NBU

Referring to preliminary data, the NBU says the reserves in December decreased by 0.5%.

"Thus, the level of international reserves of Ukraine by the end of 2017 exceeded the NBU forecast (in the equivalent of $18.6 billion, according to the inflation report for October-2017), despite a slight 0.5% decrease in December," the report says.

The change in the volume of international reserves in December was due to government revenues in the amount of $588.8 million, as well as payments on external debt. Payments were made to the International Monetary Fund totaling $161.8 million, while $423.6 million was spent on servicing and repaying the public debt in foreign currency.

Read alsoNew Year's wish to Ukrainian banks: get off your knees and lendThe report notes that as of January 1, 2018, the volume of international reserves covers 3.6 months of future imports, and is sufficient to fulfill Ukraine’s obligations and the current transactions of the government and the National Bank.

As UNIAN reported earlier, in 2016 international reserves of Ukraine increased by 17% - up to $15.539 billion.