41.   Meanwhile, the government decided Thursday to extend a trading band on the ruble until the end of the year, which officials call a step toward economic stability.

42.   Meridor has argued that expanding the trading band will further slow the economy and increase unemployment.

43.   Netanyahu said that he would make a decision on the trading band by the end of the day if Frenkel and Meridor failed to reach agreement.

44.   Netanyahu still must bridge a disagreement between Frenkel and Meridor on a Bank of Israel proposal to widen the trading band for the Israeli shekel.

45.   On Wednesday, the government announced the first official trading band for the ruble since it was allowed to float on the market three years ago.

46.   President Boris Yeltsin and Central Bank officials announced that a government-imposed trading band on the currency will be extended until the end of the year.

47.   Restrepo said Colombia alone would make the decision about the future of the trading band.

48.   That forced the Ukrainian government to widen the currency trading band it had previously set for this year.

49.   The Central Bank is expected to say on Monday whether the real will continue being traded freely or placed back into a trading band system.

50.   The central bank could also reintroduce a trading band, supported by a trading suspension system.