Bank Uralsib’s net profit decreased from 1.95 billion RUR in January-March 2007 to 1.71 billion RUR in the first quarter of 2008, or by 12.5%, with the data calculated on the basis of Russian Accounting Standards. At the same time, the figures for January-March 2008 fall short of the bank’s net profit in October-December 2007 (that is, 1.998 billion RUR) by 14.7%, Uralsib reports. The bank explains this drop in profits by getting fewer revenues from their security transactions.

‘We are not sure yet just when our insulin production will actually be launched,’ chairman of Novouralsk-based Medsintez Alexander Petrov announced at a press conference devoted to the prospective launch of Russia’s first insulin production facility. ‘The construction of the plant will probably have been completed by November 26, 2008. However, it’s a bit early to speak of the actual launch; insulin production is a science-intensive, computer-aided, robotic activity that needs much more research,’ he added.

‘Having a plate mill constructed still sounds like a good idea; Russia can now boast a shipbuilding holding, but all the sheets have to be bought abroad, while the amount needed comes to over 1 million tons a year. Apart from that, a lot of bridges are being put up, and we could produce bridge metal for them, too,’ says Nizhniy Tagil Iron & Steel Works (part of Evraz Group) CEO Alexei Kushnarev. However, the future of the project (known as Mill 5000) is still uncertain at the moment, he reports. According to Evraz Group’s press officer, the final decision will be taken at the BOD meeting

MSA a.s., one of the Czech Republic’s leading pipeline fittings manufacturers and part of ChTPZ Group, launched the production of new vane valves for trunk pipelines, the spokesperson for ChTPZ Group reports. The new valves (DN500-700, PN1.6-4.0 MPa varieties designed in accordance with technical conditions 29.13-МSА-120/06-А) are based on DN500-1000, PN8.0-10 MPa standard size valves that have been thoroughly tested for durability and seismic resistance and comply with the strictest technical standards employed at Transneft. These valves are unique in that they have an air-gas channel

Uralfinprombank’s license allowing the bank to render data encryption services (registration number LF/06-4005, issued on April 10, 2003) expired on April 10, 2008. Besides, the bank’s license entitling the company to maintenance of encrypting devices (registration number LF/06-4003, issued on April 10, 2003) and the license allowing the bank to distribute their encrypting facilities (registration number LF/06-4004, issued on April 10, 2003) expired on April 10, 2008 as well.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Tagilbank to sole traders for 91 to 180 days went down by 43.13% (from 11.94 million RUR to 6.79 million RUR) in January-March 2008.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by UralFinPromBank to sole traders for 31 to 90 days dropped by 93.5% (from 18.18 million RUR to 1.18 million RUR) in January-March 2008.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Khanty-Mansiyskiy Bank to nongovernmental financial institutions for 181 days to 1 year went down by 19.51% (from 803.595 million RUR to 646.795 million RUR) in January-March 2008.

‘Following the request of the defendant, the hearing of case А60-3641/08 (Yekaterinburg municipal council vs. Concern Kalina) was postponed till April 24, 2008,’ the spokesperson for Sverdlovsk Region Court of Arbitration Yulia Kolyasnikova said to UrBC. ‘The city council wants to get the rent Concern Kalina owes it; the council’s press officer claims Kalina owes them 2,437,736.37 RUR worth of rental fees for using the municipal land allotments in 2006 and 2007,’ Ms Kolyasnikova explained.

MICEX and RTS experts compiled a rating of professional stock market players in March 2008, and the Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development was given some rather impressive positions: the bank was rated Russia’s 36th best player on the stock market (compared with the 37th position in February 2008) among MICEX’s 640 participants. The bank’s trading operations turnover came to 5.6 billion RUR. RTS (FORTS) rated the Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development as the 18th most successful player on the futures and option transactions market among 132 market participants; its transactions