Ukrainian businesses expect an increase in production of goods and services in 2017 mainly in the western and central regions of Ukraine, as well as in Zaporizhia region, according to a survey of business leaders conducted by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Among the 14 regions in which an increase in production is expected, the largest growth is expected in Rivne and Zakarpattia regions.

At the same time, a reduction in output is expected in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Chernihiv regions. At the same time, according to the poll, businesses do not expect changes in Kherson, Chernivtsi and Sumy regions.

Growth in economic activity, according to the survey, is expected in 16 regions of Ukraine (the index of business expectations in the country stands at 108.7%). At the same time, the highest expectations are in Ternopil (128.7%) and Volyn (124.1%) regions. The decline in economic activity of enterprises is projected in Chernihiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, Chernivtsi and Rivne regions.

The central bank also fixed the renewal of expectations as for reducing the number of employees at enterprises of most types of economic activity, particularly in agriculture. Growth is expected only in processing industry and trade.