UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 13, 2020. The Russian Government intends to consider the draft bill on Sberbank share buyout on Thursday, February 13; the draft bill has been proposed by the Finance Ministry and the Central Bank. According to RIA Novosti, the Russian Government is planning to but the majority interest in Sberbank at market value using the National Wealth Fund’s money. Under the terms of the draft bill, the minority shareholders will have a one-time opportunity to buy the shares at the same price as what the Cabinet will be paying for their shareholding. ‘The draft bill will get

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 13, 2020. Sverdlovsk Region’s public debt came to RUB 59.887bn on December 1, 2019, with debt/tax and non-tax revenue ratio at 26.5%, the Finance Ministry’s report states. As for Ural Federal District’s other constituencies, Kurgan Region and Chelyabinsk Region, as well as Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, had over RUB 16bn in public debt as of December 1, 2019. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region – Yugra came next (RUB 13bn). As of January 1, 2020, Sverdlovsk Region’s public debt reached RUB 77.1878bn, Sverdlovsk Region’s Finance Ministry reported earlier. According

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 13, 2020. The asking price of country-houses and summerhouses in Sverdlovsk Region dropped by 3% in the last quarter of 2019 compared with one year previously, Avito’s research findings indicate. ‘Sverdlovsk Region came 13th in the national constituencies’ rating of country-house affordability the last quarter of 2019; the average asking price came to RUB 23,000 per m2 (down 3% on one year earlier),’ Avito says. Summerhouses/dachas also grew 3% cheaper (down to RUB 14,500 per m2). At the same time, the asking price of cottages and town-houses rose by 2% (up to

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, February 13, 2020. The average monthly pay advertised in Sverdlovsk Region labor market’s job openings increased from RUB 44,685 to RUB 47,010 in the course of one year, the job search portal HeadHunter’s recent research findings indicate. The median pay, however, comes to RUB 37,000 a month (that is, 50% of people currently in the workforce get paid less than the given amount, while the other 50% get paid more). ‘Salaries and wages have been going up moderately but steadily for the last few years. The complicated labor market situation is a factor: employers competing