UrBC, Magnitogorsk, August 24, 2018. MMK Group’s asset MMK METIZ made RUR 260.7m in net profit in the second quarter of the year, which exceeded the figures for one year earlier by 1.7 times, the Group’s press service reports. The company’s net profit reached RUR 413.42m in the first half of the year overall, which was actually 40% less than in the first half of 2017. MMK METIZ’s sales revenues came toRUR 11.513bn in January-June 2018, which was 20% more than one year earlier. Second quarter’s sales amounted to RUR 6.13bn, which was 14% more than one year earlier.

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 24, 2018. Twenty of Komi’s remotest locations will get stable mobile connection and high-speed Internet access in the first quarter of 2019 thanks to MegaFon; the company intends to invest more than RUR 110m in the constituency’s digital development, the ISP’s press service reports. The Republic of Komi’s Government and the digital operator MegaFon agreed to invest in the territory’s communications development together. A large-scale telecom construction works will soon be taking place in Komi’s poorly accessible and remote locations in order to introduce better

UrBC, Moscow, August 24, 2018. The Bank of Russia will refrain from buying foreign currency for the Russian Finance Ministry between August 23 and September 30, 2018. ‘The decision was made in order to make the financial authorities’ actions more predictable and to decrease the forex markets’ volatility. The eventual decision to resume buying foreign currency will be taken based on the actual financial market situation throughout September 2018,’ the bank states. The last period the Bank of Russia halted its foreign currency purchases was six days long, and the Central Bank purchased larger

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 23, 2018. More than 1,000,000 kg of beams made at EVRAZ Holding’s Nizhniy Tagil Integrated Metallurgical Plant (NTMK) got used to build an agricultural facility in Voronezh Region. According to the company’s press service, another 1,000,000 kg of 25 SH1 and 30 SH1 H-beams (length: 10 meters to 13 meters) will get delivered onto the construction site before the end of summer. The beams will be used to put up the roof of the building. EVRAZ NTMK makes over three hundred different types of H-beams with various properties by customer’s order. The beams are used for

UrBC, Moscow, August 23, 2018. It appears people working in the trade and service sectors are the most active applicants for micro-loans this year. They received, respectively, 25.7% and 24.9% of all micro-loans issued in the first half of 2018, the micro financing organization SmartCredit reports. According to SmartCredit, the largest share (18.2%) of micro-borrowers in 2016 was made up of production sector workers. In 2017, those employed in the trade and service sectors outstripped the production sector employees and continue to do so this year. Thus 16.6% of micro-loans got issued to

UrBC, Moscow, August 23, 2018. 64% of Russians who took part in a recent survey say they now have to have more cash with them when traveling abroad in order to pay for their meals, guided tours, bus fares, and so on, OneTwoTrip’s press service refers to its recent research findings as indicating. 17% of respondents said they still found it hard to keep within their original budget and ended up spending more. ‘On-the-spot everyday expenses make up a big share of travel-related costs and prove a key factor in deciding where to go on vacation. A rather low-key dinner or lunch at some European

UrBC, Chelyabinsk, August 23, 2018. Officers from Troitsk Customs Point, Chelyabinsk Region, handed over 188.2 kg of beef tongues (Duty Number: 0206210000) imported from Denmark to Rosselkhoznadzor authorities, the latter’s press service reports. The shipment containing foods whose import to Russia is prohibited was going from Zatobolsk, Kostanay Region, Kazakhstan, to APK NaturProdukt in Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Region. It was determined that the waybill information did not quite match the data stated on the veterinary certificate: while APK NaturProdukt was stated as the consignee, the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 23, 2018. Sverdlovsk Region-based customers got RUR 6.2m back upon returning poor quality products in the first half of 2018, the local division of Rospotrebnadzor (the state consumer rights watchdog) reports. 1,342 customer complaints got placed with the agency in January-June 2018; most of them had to do with smartphones, household appliances, and furniture. It is also reported that the share of faulty items rose in the first half of 2018 compared with one year earlier. For one, the share of poor quality household cleaning products went up from 34.4% to 52.9%;

UrBC, Moscow, August 22, 2018. 57% of Russians who took part in tutu.ru’s recent survey say they would be willing to cancel their international trips if the EUR/RUR exchange rate rose to more than RUR 80 to RUR 90 per €1, the travel service tutu.ru reports. ‘We conducted a survey after the currency exchange rate started fluctuating to see what changes would make our travelers reconsider going abroad. 4,300 respondents shared their opinions on August 13-20. It turns out that the EUR/RUR exchange rate of 1/80 is the ‘psychological benchmark’ that would be decisive in this respect,’ the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 22, 2018. Only 7,000 out of Russia’s 400,000 customers on the foreign exchange market are actually doing their business with legal, Central Bank-registered forex dealers, head of Forex Dealers’ Association Evgeny Masharov announced at a press conference in Yekaterinburg. ‘Only eight companies who are the Association members actually meet all of the Central Bank’s requirements. This means that more than two hundred other companies have been operating with no proper permits, so the customers are facing risks in trusting such market players,’ Masharov said. According

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 22, 2018. 4,680 lost luggage claims have been placed with Yekaterinburg’s Koltsovo Airport in the first half of the year, the airport’s press service reports. The airport’s passengers have checked in more than 846,000 pieces of luggage in these six months all in all. The share of lost items thus came to 0.56% of the entire number. Koltsovo Airport has also introduced an online luggage search system by now.

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 22, 2018. MMK’s annual guitar poetry festival will be held at Gornoye Ushchelye Children’s Center on September 1, the company’s press service reports. This is the nineteenth time the festival will be held this year. Members of MMK Group’s trade union are expected to take part in the event. The goal is to promote art songs and single out the talented authors and performers who could represent MMK Group at the All-Russian amateur guitar poetry festivals. Besides, the event is meant to help performers of guitar poetry, amateur songs, hiking songs, and other

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 22, 2018. MMK Group’s Perm Territory-based Lysva Metallurgical Plant (LMZ) made RUR 430m in net profit (calculated in accordance with the Russian Accounting Standards) in the first half of 2018, compared with RUR 275 in net loss one year earlier, MMK refers to the company’s financial report as stating. LMZ’s revenues rose by nearly 2.4 times, up to RUR 6,798bn, its gross profit rose by 3.2 times, up to RUR 1.051bn. Sales revenues increased by 3.3 times, up to RUR 721m. The plant’s long-term liabilities dropped from RUR 4.276bn at the start of the year down to RUR

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 21, 2018. A new road connecting Ilyinsky Rte to Metallurgov, a village near Novokuznetsk, reopened after repairs recently. EVRAZ Holding’s Raspadskaya Coal Company directed some RUR 50m to have the road reconstructed, the holding’s press service reports. ‘Road quality is quality of life. This is also an indicator of a city’s and an area’s economic development. We live and work here and would like this place to be more suited for a comfortable life, so we contribute to urban improvements and road-building. The road leading to Metallurgov gets used by our employees

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 21, 2018. MMK Group’s MMK METIZ got successfully certified for compliance with three international standards this month; two of these standards have to do with quality management control and one with environmental management control, MMK’s press service reports. The standards in question are: IATF 16949:2016 (quality management systems at car-making enterprises and spare parts-making businesses); ISO 9001:2015 (quality management systems); and ISO 14001:2015 (environmental management systems). This was the first time MMK METIZ got certified for compliance with IATF

UrBC, Moscow, August 21, 2018. The international rating agency Fitch affirmed Russia’s long-term credit rating (foreign currency-wise) at BBB-, with Positive rating outlook, the company says. The country’s short-term credit rating got affirmed at F3. According to the agency, the current rating outlook (Positive) points to the ongoing progress in the country’s improving economic policy, a more flexible exchange rate, consistent inflation targeting, and a stable budget strategy. Fitch believes the Russian economy has been handling the consequences of the U.S.-imposed sanctions (first enacted in

UrBC, Chelyabinsk, August 21, 2018. ChelPipe Group’s storage depot supplied its first set of 130,000 kg of weldless pipes to AO TYAZHMASH, the company press service reports. The GL pipes (diameter: 426 mm; layer thickness: 25 mm) will be used to build parts of a launch complex at Vostochny Cosmodrome. Given the expected in-service environment, the pipes have to meet special extra requirements. For one, ChelPipe Group’s ‘white-coated metallurgists’ made sure their produce has enhanced impact strength, 100% surface quality, and highly precise length of 7.5 meters. ‘This order for high

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, August 21, 2018. EVRAZ Holding’s 7th Corporate Football Championship’s final rounds took place in Kachkanar this month. The team from the holding’s Siberia branch won gold for the first time ever, the company’s PR Department reports. Five teams from EVRAZ Holding’s Ural and Siberian divisions competed in the championship: EVRAZ Nizhniy Tagil Integrated Metallurgical Works’ team, Raspadskaya Coal Company’s team, Sibuglemet’s team, EVRAZ Kachkahar Ore Mining & Processing Enterprise’s team, and EVRAZ Siberia’s team. Raspadskaya Coal Company and EVRAZ Nizhniy Tagil

UrBC, Chelyabinsk, August 20, 2018. Students from Children’s Singing School (set up at ChelPipe Group’s shareholder Andrei Komarov’s initiative) performed at ChelPipe Group-supported Yelanchik Summer Camp, the company press service reports. The young singers presented a portion of Look At Me Flying!, a family musical; together with their teachers, they also coordinated a first-stage casting session among the campers. ‘Taking part in a casting session is a great opportunity for gifted children to reveal their hidden talents. This is the opportunity we gave the children at Yelanchik today.

UrBC, Magnitogorsk, August 20, 2018. Sixty Magnitogorsk retirees are going to get medical treatment at MMK Metallurg Charity Foundation’s Healthcare/Social Welfare Center this month; this is the fourth shift of patients joining the program this summer so far, MMK’s press service reports. The program will be over on August 28; the patients will have time to complete their primary treatment plan, get an orthopaedic surgeon’s advice, improve their Nordic walking skills, and attend water fitness classes. Walking Without Pain is Metallurg’s socially important project that got selected by