Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin’s vacation began on March 30, 2009. His First Deputy Governor Andrei Kosilov is going to be acting Governor for the time being, the spokesperson for the Governor reports.

Irbit Trailer Plant, Uralelectromash, and Zavod Iset have been placed on the list of companies owing more than 1 million RUR to the state (i.e. the Russian Federation budget), Sverdlovsk Region’s division of the Federal Tax Service reports. All in all, the list comprised 341 Sverdlovsk Region-based enterprises on March 15, 2009.

Ural Airlines started selling tickets for its U6-2941/2942 Dushanbe-Irkutsk-Dushanbe flights. Starting April 2, 2009, flights are to be operated every Thursday. The departure time for Irkutsk-Dushanbe flight is 3.15 PM, the arrival time is 4 PM. The departure time for Dushanbe-Irkutsk flight is 4.20 AM, the arrival time is 1.15 PM. All flights are operated on an Airbus A320 plane; these are five-hour flights. For more information, call the 24/7 Passenger Support Service 8 800 2000 262 (toll free within Russia).

Degtyarsk Machine-Building Plant’s management claims the company is under a raiding attack initiated by Malik Gaisin, a local entrepreneur. ‘Since the law-enforcement agencies do not seem to pay any attention to the notorious Malik F. Gaisin’s actions, one of Degtyarsk’s few operating businesses is under a threat of total destruction,’ the plant’s GD Valery Malygin was quoted as saying by the Anti-Corruption Committee. The plant’s top executives report eleven buildings located on the plant’s premises have been registered with Kolva Ltd (controlled by Malik Gaisin). However, neither money nor

Deputy Head of Sverdlovsk Region Government and the region’s Minister for Industry and Science Anatoly Gredin presented his report on the state of local aluminum smelters at an anti-crisis committee meeting. The Minister explained things were hard for Severouralsk bauxite mine (SUBR) and Bogoslovskiy and Ural smelters at the moment; their output had halved, while the produce didn’t appear to enjoy any demand. In the meantime, these enterprises employ over 10,000 local dwellers. The regional government officials have already drawn up an agreement providing for lower electricity and heat prices