The FINANCIAL -- Iryna Akimova, first deputy chief of the Presidential Administration, predicts GDP growth of 3% to 3.1% in 2010, she has told at a news briefing.

At the same time, the Administration's first deputy head found it difficult to voice the inflation outlook for 2010, saying it would depend much on the authorities' decision to raise the gas and electric energy tariffs and on the government's steps towards normalising the financial situation at the national joint-stock company Naftohaz Ukrainy.

Akimova says the government at its Wednesday session meeting forecast inflation of 13% for 2010.

At the same time she noted, the final forecast would depend on the tariff policy.

The Cabinet of Ministers at the Wednesday session has not still approved final macroeconomic indicators for 2010, Akimova marked, but the government's GDP and inflation outlooks are close to international organisations' estimates, specifically by the International Monetary Fund.

She announced, she had called on the government at its session not to confine themselves to the optimistic forecast, matching the forecast of the world economy growth of 3.5%, but also to look at the pessimistic, more favourable scenario.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the International Monetary Fund predicts growth of Ukraine 's gross domestic product at 3% for 2010 against 2009, and an average inflation of 20% for 2010.

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