Companies@UA: База компаний Украины

Kyiv, July 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The fall in the hryvnia in late July is being caused by speculation by various banks, Ukraine's Premier Yulia Tymoshenko has said.

"A well planned operation is currently being performed on the currency market in Ukraine, and it is a cruel operation against Ukraine. The hryvnia is being devaluated through speculative deals. Vast sums of money are being earned through this," Tymoshenko said at a press conference on Wednesday.

According to the premier, the State Tax Administration has been instructed to examine banks performing such operations.

"I've instructed the tax administration from tomorrow to thoroughly examine the work of banks destroying the national currency to earn extra profits," Tymoshenko said.

According to Tymoshenko, a well-organized criminal group is operating on the currency market. The tax administration should reveal who owns the speculating banks and who is the front for their speculation operations.

At the same time Tymoshenko said the government has limited possibilities to influence the currency rate situation in the country. The National Bank of Ukraine is empowered to do this, she said.

"Currently there are grounds for the national currency to fall. Even a rate of UAH 7.60 per $1 is groundless," Tymoshenko said.

According to the Ukrainian premier, a proper level of the hryvnia exchange rate is UAH 6-6.50 per $1.

"Anything else is cruel and impudent speculation, prevented neither by the law enforcement forces nor the central bank," she said.