Metallurgical Industrial Complex of Nizhniy Tagil JSC (part of Evraz Group) has recently looked at its success in terms of environmental protection programs in the first half of 2006. It turned out that the Complex reduces the harmful emissions by another 1,300 tons compared to the first half of 2005. This rate of specific emissions is one of the lowest among Russian metallurgical enterprises; it floats at approximately 18 kilograms per ton of steel (as opposed to 35 kilograms per ton in 1990), reports the spokesperson for the Complex.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, the volume of short-term loans to sole traders given by Reserve, South Ural Bank of Social Development, for a term of 181 days to a year has gone down from 10,000,000 RUR on January 1, 2006 to 4,400,000 RUR on June 1, 2006. Thus the loan portfolio is now 56% smaller.

SverdlovskOblGas, the regional gas supplier, published its financial report for 2005. The company’s intangible profit came to 87,000 RUR, which exceeds the record for 2004 by 10,000 RUR. Their authorized capital reached the point of 96,000 RUR (the figure hasn’t changed since 2004). The capital surplus decreased slightly (from 437,503 RUR in 2004 to 437,413 in 2005); sales revenues came to 370,876 RUR, gross profit to 75,872 RUR, net profit to 12,715 RUR (compared to 9,719 RUR in 2004).

‘Zinc plant of Chelyabinsk produces over 300,000 tons of sulfuric acid a year, whereas our major buyers – mineral fertilizer producers – have closed up mainly because the agricultural farms cannot afford to buy enough fertilizers anymore. Thus we’ve been faced with a problem of being unable to sell the acid,’ General Director of Zinc Plant of Chelyabinsk Vsevolod Geihmann announced at the meeting of PROMASS, the Organization of Employers of Chelyabinsk Region. Mr Geihmann believes that it is essential to find ways of storing the acid safely. ‘The Ministry of Transport does not let us rent

The technicians of Teyskiy subsidiary of Evrazruda JSC (ore maker and part of Evraz Group) started the 20-day overhaul of the crushing-and-processing plant. The plan provides for restoration of the heating system, lining of the service bin, dismantling and replacement of all the worn-out parts of the jawbreaker, and fixing the feed apron that transfers ore from the service bin to the jawbreaker. The company’s experts will also repair and replace the obsolete parts of the two bolting machines meant for ore separation, and of the three gyratory breakers meat for the secondary crushing. Whereas

Sverdlovsk Gubernskiy Bank CJSC celebrated its 12th anniversary on July 18, 2006. The bank is put on the list of top-200 Russian banks, considering its net and quick assets, its owned capital, its balance sheet total, the loan portfolio and the deposit portfolio, and the bank’s profits. This is definitely one of the leading banks of Sverdlovsk Region as well. The experts of Interfax CEA information agency named it the most dynamically developing bank in Sverdlovsk Region in 2005 and rated it 167th in terms of total assets (as opposed to being 267th in 2004) among 300 largest Russian banks

Selkhozcomplect JSC held the annual general meeting that resulted in approving of the company’s annual report and of the accounting report, including the profit and loss statement. The shareholders decided to pass a dividend for 2005 due to lack of profit. The attendees elected the Board of Directors, namely, V. Khotenov, A. Shaposhnikov, V. Surovtsev, M. Yulik, and V. Yulik. They also elected the inspection committee and renewed the contract with the company’s General Director A. Shaposhnikov for another term.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, the volume of short-term loans to nongovernmental commercial organizations given by UralPromBank for a term of 181 days to a year has gone down by 36.1% throughout January to May 2006 (against the first half of 2005). The volume of loans came to 325 233,000 RUR on June 1, 2005, whereas it only reached the point of 289,345,000 RUR on January 1, 2006, and 207 770,000 RUR on June 1, 2006.