MMK announces that as of Feb 25, 2009 it has fulfilled its obligations on dividends payout for the first six months of 2008. The decision on dividend payment in the amount of RUR 0.382 per ordinary share was taken by the Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting on August 29, 2008. The total amount of dividends accrued is RUR 4.268.594.060,00. Major shareholders of MMK – Mintha Holding Limited and Fulnek Enterprises Limited, both beneficially owned by MMK Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Rashnikov, – proposed that the share of accumulated dividends which was to be paid to them during the

‘Historically, and due to the peculiarities of our top industries, Chelyabinsk Region has grown to greatly depend on the global market opportunities, that is, on the export and metal prices. The current crisis isn’t the price we have to pay for being concentrated on the metallurgical sector. This is the price of global market integration. However, we’d be forced to pay even more dearly if we steered clear of new technologies, of foreign economic connections, and of the global trade and production experience,’ Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin declared during his annual address to the

‘Chelyabinsk Region’s real sector is going through hard times at the moment. This January, the local enterprises’ production output has dropped by 22.5% compared with December 2008. Companies find themselves increasingly incapable of paying one another for goods and services,’ Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin declared during his annual address to the Legislative Assembly and the region’s dwellers. Sumin feels that the companies might operate stably again and restore their production and sales outputs if they focus on making Chelyabinsk Region more appealing to investors through

‘The agribusiness industry’s sustainable development is our top priority at the moment,’ Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin said in the course of his annual address to the Legislative Assembly deputies. The Governor reported the year 2008 and overall a good one for the local agricultural enterprises, whose production output came to more than 63.5 billion RUR. Then, 120,000 hectares of land were re-cultivated, with another 200,000 hectares to be re-cultivated over the next two or three years. In addition, the regional poultry output rose by over one-third in 2008, reaching 142,000 tons.

‘The small businesses have been faced with the banks’ less friendlier lending policies, greater interest rates, lack of floating assets, dropping demand, and higher rent,’ Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin declared during his annual address to the Legislative Assembly and the region’s dwellers According to the Governor, the region’s small business will be aided in several ways: less red tape, tax relief, financial aid, and cheaper connection to the technological infrastructures (the hookup price is expected to drop by five to seven times). ‘The regional government has already helped

The volume of private individuals’ deposits in Uralfinprombank had gone down by 9% since September 2008. These data are available from Bankir.ru’s report on the performance of Top 200 banks with the greatest volumes of private individuals’ deposits.

The volume of Bank Severnaya Kazna’s private individuals’ deposits had gone down by 22% since September 2008. These data are available from Bankir.ru’s report on the performance of Top 200 banks with the greatest volumes of private individuals’ deposits.

The volume of private individuals’ deposits in Bank24.ru had dropped by 20% since September 2008. These data are available from Bankir.ru’s report on the performance of Top 200 banks with the greatest volumes of private individuals’ deposits.

The Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Sberinvestbank to non-state for-profit organizations despite overdraft had plummeted by 58.34% (from 21.066 million RUR to 8.774 million RUR) by January 1, 2009.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by Tagilbank to sole traders for up to thirty days had gone down by 100% (from 2 million RUR to zero) by January 1, 2009.