The fall of Ukraine's GDP in 2014 could reach 8-9 percent against the background of the aggressors' destructing industrial infrastructure in the east of the country, Finance Minister Oleksandr Shlapak has said.
“After Russian gunmen had changed tactics and actually started to destroy the manufacturing sector in eastern Ukraine, the industry will react. Thus, we expect the situation to be worse,” Shlapak told TV Channel 1+1.
According to the minister, this situation affects the balance of payments: enterprises in the east of the country provided 30 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
In addition, the balance of payments is under pressure due to Moscow’s restricting Ukrainian imports.
“We will see a shortage of export resources to the tune of about $5 billion because of the conflict with Russia. But basically, the situation with the currency balance is getting worse. And here the National Bank takes the fall,” Shlapak said.
