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KIEV, June 2 (Reuters) - Ukraine intends to act to reduce 2009 inflation to 16 percent from 22.3 percent last year, officials from the central bank and economy ministry said on Tuesday.
"In the memorandum with the International Monetary Fund, it is stated that the main aim of monetary policy this year is to contain inflation at 16 percent," Igor Shumylo, a senior central bank official, told a conference organised by Alfa Bank, part of the Russian Alfa group.
"At the same time, medium-term aims have been set -- to achieve by the middle of next year single figures and to hold it to within 5 to 7 percent, starting in 2011."
Anatoly Maksyuta, first deputy economy minister, also said efforts would be aimed at keeping to the indicators set down in the programme underpinning a $16.4 billion IMF loan programme.
"The assessments set down in the memorandum amount to a programme signed by the government and central bank and we are working with the IMF on the basis of this programme," he said. "These are benchmarks for us."
The government has so far stuck to a 2009 inflation target of 9.5 percent, but various officials have described that figure as unattainable.
Both Shumylo and Maksyuta noted a trend towards a slowdown in inflation from the start of the year and suggested this would continue in May, but made no forecasts.
Year-on-year inflation stood at 15.6 percent in April against 18.1 percent in March and 20.9 percent in February.
"We have no indicator for May, but I believe this trend will be maintained," Maksyuta said.
Shumylo warned against any sharp change in terms of inflationary expectations in view of expected rises in the price of communal services now offered to consumers at a loss.
"There are factors in favour of reductions (in inflation) -- economic slowdown, well-considered monetary and fiscal policies and seasonal factors," he said.
"But there is also a need to raise regulated prices for consumers, for electricity and gas. Economic reality is such that these could be raised in the summer when inflation is quite low." (Reporting by Natalya Zinets, writing by Ron Popeski; editing by Stephen Nisbet)