Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin held a traditional reception for the winners of the regional animal husbandry and aviculture contest. The spokesperson for the Governor reports the event was visited by workers of cattle- and pig-breeding farms and poultry factories. The thirty-nine winners were selected in nineteen categories, including the ones like Best Machine Milking Operator, Best Calf-Rearing Specialist, Best Livestock Expert, and Best Veterinarian. In addition, diplomas and certificates were given to the entire departments of cattle-breeding, agricultural, and poultry farms

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of for-profit self-regulatory organizations’ deposits in Bank24.ru valid for 1 to 3 years dropped by 66.37% (from 191.292 million RUR to 64.329 million RUR) in January-July 2008.

Ural Treasures Bank has recently introduced a number of quick money order options for its customers, who can use Migom at the bank’s office 1214/0/23 at 29/1 Stroiteley St beginning from July 23, 2008 and at office 1214/0/25 at 159 Krasnoarmeyskaya St. starting August 20, 2008. In addition, Anelik money order system is available at both offices starting August 25, 2008. MoneyGram will also be offered at the bank’s office in Krasnoarmeyskaya St beginning from August 25, 2008, the bank’s press officer reports.

Kazakhstan-based Air Astana is thinking of introducing a direct scheduled flight connecting Alma-Ata, Astana, and Yekaterinburg, the company’s Moscow representation’s director Evgeniy Krutov reported to Deputy Minister for International and Foreign Economic Relations of Sverdlovsk Region Boris Shipitsin. Evgeniy Krutov said the Kazakh air carrier operated scheduled flights to India, Thailand, China, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and a number of other destinations, so the company’s potential partners might be interested in their transit traffic services. Boris Shipitsin remarked the

Czech korunas can now be freely bought or sold at Sberbank’s Ural branch’s division in Bashkortostan, namely, at three Ufa-based offices at 5 Richard Sorge St., 14 Akademik Korolev St., and 16 Pervomayskaya St. This currency is very popular with tourists traveling to the Czech Republic, so buying korunas in Russia saves a lot of time and money needed to get some korunas in exchange for euros or U.S. dollars when in the Czech Republic, the bank’s press officer reports. Apart from this, Sberbank’s offices in Ufa also handle the UK pounds sterling, Canadian dollars, Swiss francs, and Swedish

According to Interfax-Center for Economic Analysis (Interfax-CEA), nine banks located in Ural Federal District were featured in their Russia’s Top 100 list compiled on the basis of data on the banks’ pre-tax profit in the first half of 2008. Fifty-eight out of fifty-nine Ural Federal District-based banks presented in the total rating were able to make some profit in January-June 2008, while fifteen of them made more than 100 million RUR worth of profit, the bank’s press officer reports. SKB-Bank’s revenues, for instance, reached 301 million RUR in the first half of 2008. Besides, SKB-Bank was

ChTPZ Complex Pipe Systems (part of Rimera, ChTPZ Group’s O&G maintenance division) completed the delivery of pipe spools needed for the Kazakhstan-China portion of Kenkiyak-Kumkol oil trunk pipeline to NGSK KazStroyService. ‘The delivery agreement resulted from a tender KazStroyService organized for the applicants. The agreement provided for the delivery of 22-inch pipe spools produced by Chelyabinsk-based SOT, a company dealing in production of pipeline bends and part of Rimera through ChTPZ Complex Pipe Systems’ representation in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Everything was manufactured

‘The current interest in this or that way of attracting investment depends on the existing market opportunities. At the moment, foreign financial resources grow increasingly expensive, so the number of companies which can afford to use them is dropping. As a result, more and more banks find themselves focusing on the household savings and private customers’ liabilities once again,’ URSA Bank’s Ural branch’s Vice President Alexei Sannikov said to an UrBC reporter. The bank executive feels the banks’ efforts in this field are quite obvious: ‘One cannot help noticing the surge of advertising

Saint Petersburg-based Primexpo announced it was about to enter Sverdlovsk Region’s exhibition and fair market with its IndustryExpo project scheduled for November 2008. ‘Our company realized we needed to enter Russian provinces long time ago. There is a whole range of companies which take part in our industrial exhibitions in Moscow and Saint Petersburg and are very eager to participate in the provincial fairs that could be very useful for them. The Urals are among Russia’s fastest-developing regions, which is why both Russian and foreign companies are interested in entering this new market

Standard & Poor’s International Services, Inc. might reassess Sverdlovsk Region’s credit rating, the spokesperson for the region’s Ministry of Economics and Labor reports. The agency’s representative hinted at this possibility in the course of meeting the regional government officials. The meeting was also attended by representatives of Yekaterinburg municipal council and some executives of Reftinskaya poultry plant, Oblkommunenergo, and Sverdlovsk Region Mortgage Lending Agency. The meeting was devoted to the examination and evaluation of reports on the region’s economic development that

Moody’s Investors Service, the international rating agency, confirmed URSA Bank’s BFSR at D- and its foreign currency deposit rating at Ba3/NP, with Stable Rating Outlook for both rating types. Moody’s analysts report the bank’s current rating is based on the business’s stable position on its key Ural and Siberian markets; besides, URSA Bank keeps on developing rapidly and takes pride in good profitability and funding structure. Moody’s also commented upon the bank’s ‘telling financial and efficiency indicators’ and ‘good-level capital adequacy’.