‘1,250,000 square meters of dwellings will be built in 2006, with the volume of mortgage loans to natural persons coming to 3,7bn RUR this year and 5.3bn RUR in 2007,’ First Deputy Head of Sverdlovsk Region Government for Economic Policy and Prospective Development Galina Kovaleva announced at the 4th international banking forum called Russian Banks in the 21st century. ‘In order to support builders who operate in rural areas and for civil servants as well as young professionals, we have allotted 182.1m RUR from the regional budget. Young families will also be given subsidies (the total of

SibAcademBank JSC assessed the results of its activity in August. The bank has made 966m RUR of net profit since the beginning of the year, which exceeds the figures for eight months of 2005 by three times. Its net wealth rose by 7% and reached the point of 52,145m RUR on September 1, 2006; this figure increased by 2.8 times compared to a year earlier. The bank’s balance sheet total amounted to 69,562m RUR on September 1, 2006, which is 3.15 times better than last September. The bank’s equity capital comprised 7.816m RUR, which exceeds the figures for last September by 3.9 times, reports the

Utair Airlines assessed the results of their activity in the eight months of 2006. Within this period, the company has serviced 1,609,288 passengers and handled 701.1 tons of airmail and 5,734 tons of freight. The company flew the 71,575 flight hours, reports the spokesperson for Utair.

Sverdlovsk Region keeps building up its share of export in the regional economic activity; the share of exported goods has gone up by 15.2% and amounted to $3,409m worth of produce in the first half of 2006; the share of imported goods reached the point of $812.3m worth of produce, reports the spokesperson for the Governor.

Following the decision made by the shareholders at the general meeting (and in accordance with the agreement obtained from the General Administration of the Bank of Russia in Sverdlovsk Region), former Chairman of the Board of Directors Sergey Lapshin was elected Chairman of the Management Board of Bank24.ru. He will start performing in this capacity on September 11, 2006. The former Chairman is going to join the Board of Directors.