1.   A multibillion-dollar shadow economy in cash, perhaps equal to the size of the official economy, also muddles attempts to define economic classes and spending power.

2.   But as President Boris Yeltsin tries to deliver the growth he has promised, economists are taking a closer look at the murky but vibrant shadow economy.

3.   Government experts insist that if the shadow economy is taken into account, the overall economy is finally starting to grow.

4.   The tax system is arbitrary, burdening legitimate businesses and driving them into the shadow economy.

5.   Corruption and the largely unreformed, bureaucratic style of governance have also hurt Ukraine by stifling foreign investment and driving domestic entrepreneurs into the shadow economy.

6.   Companies operating in the shadow economy are not registered and thus not liable for taxes.

7.   He said that according to National Bank figures, the shadow economy accounts for nearly half the economic activity in Ukraine.

8.   His comments Wednesday focused on the need to rein in the shadow economy, which robs the government of sorely-needed tax revenues.

9.   However, in a country where many people work in the shadow economy, it is difficult for the government to document earnings.

10.   Seleznyov said there was a vast shadow economy in Russia run by organized crime, and he urged lawmakers to step up tax collections from delinquent enterprises.