September 2, 2013. The transport freight turnover of organizations and companies based in Sverdlovsk Region amounted to 123.1bn ton-kilometers in January-July 2013, which was 1% less than a year earlier (and 0.9% less than the average figure for the Russian Federation), the region’s Economic Ministry’s press service reports. It should be noted that a decrease in the freight turnover was noticeable for all kinds of transport except for the automobile and inland water one: the figures for the automobile-based freight turnover rose by 6.1% on January-July 2012, those for the inland water

September 2, 2013. Throughout the summer, the mobile carrier MegaFon improved the mobile connection quality as well as increased the speed of 3G Internet connection in 31 towns and cities of Sverdlovsk Region where 250,000 people are based altogether. According to the company’s press service, 85% of Sverdlovsk Region’s population are already located in MegaFon’s stable connection zone. The quality of connection was made better in Yekaterinburg, Nizhniy Tagil, Sysert, Asbest, Kamens-Uralsky, Verkhnyaya Salda, Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Pervouralsk, Aramil, Serov, Rezh, Novouralsk, Krasnoturyinsk,

September 2, 2013. The international rating agency Standard & Poor’s affirmed Sverdlovsk Region’s credit rating at BB+, Interfax reports. The Rating Outlook is Stable. The agency expects a certain drop in the financial indicators due to a slower increase in tax revenues and greater expenses occasioned by the federal authorities’ requirements. S&P believes, however, that these factors will only have a moderate impact on the rating. Stable Outlook reflects the agency’s opinion that the careful spending policy and the economic recovery after 2013 will probably be balanced off with an

September 2, 2013. SKB-Bank got more than 10,000 loan applications in one week, including applications from parents who are sending their children to school. The bank’s press officer reports that the beginning of the fall is typically one of the most expense-loaded periods of the year. ‘People are coming back from their vacations, getting new cars, furniture, and home appliances and sending their children to school. This is why late August and early September is the time when increasingly more people apply for a loan,’ the press officer explains. According to the Public Opinion Fund, 90% of

August 30, 2013. EVRAZ revenues decreased by 3% and came to 7.362bn RUR in the first half of 2013, the company’s official report states. EBITDA came to $939m, which was 20.7% lower than a year earlier. The net loss came to $122m, which was 2.7 times more than a year earlier. ‘While our steel produce sales remained the same as in the first half of 2012 and amounted to 7.8m tons, the financial results of this half-year reflect the dropping steel prices: our revenues decreased to $7,362m, which was 3% lower than in the first half of 2012; besides, our EBITDA went down to $939m,’ says EVRAZ

August 30, 2013. The administrative committee of Yekaterinburg Leninsky District fined Klassika Pharmacy for damaging the façade of the building at 26 Malyshev St; this building hosts one of the pharmacy chain’s outlets, the spokesperson for Yekaterinburg Council reports. The committee members detected a hole in the façade that was used to put the plastic tube that is part of an air conditioner outside. Also, the brick structure of the wall was also damaged. An administrative offense protocol regarding the violation of Article 12 of the Administrative Offenses in Sverdlovsk Region Act was

August 30, 2013. The industrial production index in Sverdlovsk Region rose by 1.2% in January-July 2013 against a year earlier, and this is actually 1.2% better than in the Russian Federation on average, Sverdlovsk Region’s Economics Ministry’s press service reports. According to Sverdlovskstat, the industrial production index for fossil fuels was 106.8% (against the country average of 100.9%), that for the processing industries was 101.1% (against the country average of 99.8%), that of electricity, natural gas, and water production and distribution was 95.9% (against the country average of

August 30, 2013. 279,000 residents of Sverdlovsk Region have been registered at the United Government Services Portal since it was set up. The region’s Government’s press service reports that 63 government and municipal services were converted to electronic format two years before the launch of the portal, and 70 more services came to be offered electronically in the first half of 2013. All in all, 198 government and municipal services are expected to be converted to an electronic format before the end of this year. Besides, Sverdlovsk Region Government decided to introduce more functions for

August 30, 2013. Ural Airlines now offer special prices on flights operated to the capital and the south of Russia from Nizhnevartovsk, the air carrier’s press service reports. Residents of Nizhnevartovsk can now enjoy the special price of the plane tickets for Nizhnevartovsk-Moscow or Moscow-Nizhnevartovsk flights, which starts from 7,500 RUR. Those who want to travel during the off-peak season can buy tickets for connecting flights with a convenient stopover at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport and get to Rostov-on-Don, Gelendzhik, Anapa, and Simferopol. Prices start from 8,500 RUR. There is also

August 29, 2013. The net profit of MRSK Urala decreased by 30% in the first half of 2013 and amounted to 143m RUR. In 2012, the figure was 206m RUR, the company’s report states. The revenues for January to June came to 30.4bn RUR, which is 0.5% more than in 2012 (30.25bn RUR). The company’s pre-tax profit was 302.6m RUR in the first half of 2013 - 2.3 times less against a year earlier (697.5m RUR). The figures were drawn up in accordance with the IAS.

August 29, 2013. 23 multi-purpose centers are expected to be launched in Sverdlovsk Region before the end of the year; the centers will provide all kinds of bureaucratic services to the locals. This network will cost 320m RUR to build, Sverdlovsk Region Economics Minister Dmitri Nozhenko said at a press conference today. This money will be directed to personnel training, staff salaries (there will be 1,200 people working there), and the setting up of the branches. Automobiles fitted with all the necessary equipment will be provided for people living in very remote parts of the area. 19

August 29, 2013. 50 extra budget-funded fellowships were allocated by Sverdlovsk Region Education Ministry to Pervouralsk Metallurgical College. This is a unique case among secondary vocational education establishments, as most students don’t even have to compete to get into places of this kind, ChTPZ Group’s press service reports. The thing is, this college is hugely popular with applicants because of the ChTPZ Group’s Future of White Metallurgy Project: there were 2.5 applicants per one student position on this program this year. ‘The interest in the Future of White Metallurgy Program that

August 29, 2013. Sverdlovsk Region Economics Minister Dmitri Nozhenko said the economic situation in Sverdlovsk Region was overall stable, though he did admit some sectors were stagnating and no necessary growth was to be seen. He said this at a press conference in Yekaterinburg today. ‘I would say the situation is stable on the whole. While this might be true that we are not experiencing the kind of growth we would like to see, and some sectors are stagnating, still, I wouldn’t say this was anything to really worry about,’ the Minister said. Now the Region’s Finance Minister Galina

August 29, 2013. The EXPO 2020 Application Committee is announcing a photo contest called I am for EXPO in Yekaterinburg. The event will take place on August 23 to September 30, the official city portal states. ‘To take part in the competition, you have to present the photographs that reflect your support of the idea of hosting EXPO 2020 in Yekaterinburg; the photos should show how much you like this city, why you are voting for EXPO, how you see the world exhibition in this place, and why the city deserves to host the event,’ the message states. You can use the application logo or the phrase

August 28, 2013. Uralgidromed workers took part in a clean-up day on August 24 and cleared the shore of Shtangoviy Pond in Polevskoy, the press service of Russian Copper Company, of which Uralgidromed is a member, reports. ‘The clean-up day was organized by Enviro-Chemie GmbH and the Association of Environmentally Responsible Enterprises. In Polevskoy, these were Uralgidromed and Polevskaya Communal Company. The city residents and enterprises employees picked up and took away over seven trucks full of rubbish combed along the shore of the pond. The local schoolchildren were particularly

August 28, 2013. ChTPZ Group presented its new production developments and unique technological advances to Uzbekistan oil and gas market. The main idea behind this was to strengthen and expand the existing economic relations with the Uzbek customers and giving the partners and potential customers a chance to get acquainted with the Group’s competitive advantages and its new production philosophy – ‘white metallurgy’, ChTPZ Group’s press service reports. Experts from Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant, Pervouralsk New Plant, and ChTPZ Engineering took part in the presentation at

August 28, 2013. The All-Russian Intellectual Property Protection Organization demanded that Metro Cash & Carry should pay a compensation for violating the exclusive remuneration rights to public reproduction of music recordings; the compensation was estimated at 500,000 RUR, Arendator.ru reports. The Organization believes that 10 music recordings that were performed at one of the stores were not backed up by the agreement on compensating the Organization for the public performance. Metro, on its part, pointed out that the performances in question were aired on the radio, and the music

August 28, 2013. As of June 30, 2013, customers currently owe Sverdlovsk Heat Supplying Company (STK) 2.941bn RUR. The company’s press service reports most of these (2.116bn RUR) debts are the ones by management companies and communal housing services departments. State-run organizations owe STK 134m RUR (with 64m RUR worth of debts from the Defense Ministry). 225m RUR is in the form of overdue debts and the debts of insolvent companies. Among the long-time non-payers are SUERZH-SK (31m RUR), Verkh-Isetskaya Management Company (202m RUR), StroyTerra (23.9m RUR). Dom Service (21m RUR),

August 28, 2013. Pipe Metallurgical Company sold 2,175,000 tons of steel pipes, which is 3% more than in a year earlier. At the same time, the shipments came to 1,117,000 tons in the second quarter of the year, which was 6% more than in the four months of 2012. The company’s press service reports the increase in the shipment volume has to do with bigger supplies of line pipes and LDPs. The weldless pipes shipment volume remained nearly the same as in the first half of 2012 and amounted to 1,271,000 tons. The volume of OCTG sales was 1% lower than a year earlier. The welded pipes shipments

August 27, 2013. There are currently 1,122 km worth of abandoned roads in Sverdlovsk Region towns. These roads will soon come to be owned by the local towns, so a list of such objects is being compiled at the moment, Sverdlovsk Region Government’s Press Service & Information Department reports. The region’s Transport Minister Alexander Sidorenko says that since these roads are not on the municipal property list, no money is allocated for its repairs or maintenance from Sverdlovsk Region Finance Ministry, so registering these roads officially could ensure more revenues into the local