Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Ural Innovational Commercial Bank to non-state for-profit organizations for 91 to 180 days went down by 61.15% (from 17.8 million RUR to 6.915 million RUR) in January-August 2008.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of non-state for-profit organizations’ deposits in Pervouralsk Joint Stock Commercial Bank valid for 1 to 3 years dropped by 76% (from 10 million RUR to 2.4 million RUR) in January-August 2008.

The quality of service is an essential component of bank-customer communication: the only way a bank can build up on its share of the market is through meeting and foreseeing its customers’ needs to the fullest,’ says URSA Bank’s Ural branch’s Vice President Vadim Manin. ‘To make sure we can achieve these two goals, URSA Bank came up with a brand new product: our business packages are ‘tariff schemes’ of sorts for our business customers. They provide for a certain amount and volume of prepaid services, primarily those related to cash transactions and settlement procedures and e-banking.

Anyone living in Russia will be able to buy an iPhone without having to get involved with any particular mobile operator. Eolis, for instance, has recently launched a new advertising campaign that is expected to precede the iPhone’s independent sales. Eolis reports these will start as soon as October 2008. As a matter of fact, this will mean falling out of general practice around the world, as most other countries normally sell iPhones with a pre-set subscription to this or that mobile operator. Moreover, a number of Russian operators have also said this could be the way to be adopted for

SKB-Bank’s 01 series bonds were transferred from A2 to A1 MICEX quotation lists. This achievement was made possible due to the bank’s ongoing improvements of internal procedures and business processes. ‘Getting on A1 quotation list will mean many more potential investors for us and our shares’ enhanced liquidity,’ the bank’s press officer said to an UrBC reporter.

The dwellers of Kurgan Region are reported to have bough over $2m worth of Sberbank of Russia’s traveler’s checks in January-August 2008, which exceeds the figures for January-August 2007 by 20%. The bank’s experts report there are also plenty of workers who earn a living outside the region and prefer to turn the money they’ve made into TCs and cash them in Kurgan. This year, Sberbank’s Kurgan branch has paid over $70,000 worth of checks so far, which exceeded the figures for a year earlier by 92%. The experts explain that it’s wise to buy the TCs in cash that is normally used in the country

Russian Retail Growth Fund (managed by Svarog Capital Advisors) acquired a shareholding in Auto Plus Group, both companies report. Auto Plus Group’s GD Pavel Shestopalov says the fund has bought their additional share issue, while the former owners’ shares have gone down proportionally. Vedomosti reports RRGF paid $45m for the share issue, whose actual percentage in the company’s authorized capital has been kept confidential. Auto Plus Group comprises Toyota Center Yekaterinburg Zapad, Lexus Yekaterinburg, Auto Plus Sever (a used cars dealer), and Auto Plus Rent a Car. The first rumors

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by UralTransBank to non-state for-profit organizations for 181 days to 1 year dropped by 31.04% (from 469.712 million RUR to 323.911 million RUR) in January-August 2008.

Last weekend, Bank Severnaya Kazna stopped accepting the payments Beeline’s customers wanted to make to top up their cell phone account. The bank reports this was because of Beeline’s servers undergoing scheduled maintenance operations. Bank Severnaya Kazna explained the payments did not get handled from 9 PM on September 12, 2008 to 9 AM on September 13, 2008.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by Sverdlovsk Gubernskiy Bank to sole traders for 181 days to 1 year plummeted by 63.96% (from 9.081 million RUR to 3.272 million RUR) in January-August 2008.

Following the Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin’s order, sixty-two local mothers of large families have been awarded with the Mother’s Glory decoration. 497 women with many children have been received the three-degree decoration since 2007. This award equals the Labor Veteran in importance and gives the bearer the same rights and privileges. The spokesperson for the Governor reports the decoration is given to excellent mothers of five or more children. The first-degree decoration and a 100,000-ruble premium will be given to four mothers of ten or more children. Nine mothers of seven,