Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by SberInvestBank to natural persons for over 3 years went down by 22.57% (from 25.126 million RUR to 19.456 million RUR) in January-March 2008.

‘Contrary to earlier expectations, last week turned out to be very eventful for the foreign exchange market. The global leaders, that is, the dollar and the euro, reached some new heights and depths,’ says SKB-Bank’s Dealing Director Anton Khavin. ‘The U.S. dollar dropped against the euro on Wednesday, reaching its lowest-ever minimum, which many experts believe signifies the beginning of a gradual downfall. On Thursday, the euro exchange rate plummeted to 1.565 USD/1 EUR, which was the worst result in the last four months. It looks like the dollar was supported by the good news regarding the

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by UralTransBank to for-profit self-regulatory organizations for 31 to 90 days went down by 33.67% (from 469.628 million RUR to 311.487 million RUR) in January-March 2008.

‘Windows Vista is Microsoft’s top selling product in Russia at the moment, while its nearest predecessor Microsoft Windows XP is only the second most popular product whose sales amount to 25% or 30% in the total turnover. Moreover, people increasingly tend to buy Windows Vista even if the computer or laptop they’ve just bought has Windows XP installed on it already,’ Valeria Shverova of Belyi Veter Yekaterinburg said to UrBC. According to RBC daily, the global sales of Microsoft’s operating systems initially dropped by 24%, or down to $4.03bn, but thanks to Vista boosting sales a little bit

ALNAS (RTS: ALNZ), part of ChTPZ Group and Neftserviceholding’s integrated maintenance division, decided to set up a joint venture in Perm Territory meant for full service and maintenance of oil wells, the spokesperson for ChTPZ Group said to UrBC. The new enterprise, known as SPO ALNAS, will be using both Russian and foreign equipment and is to be based in Polazna, Perm Territory. The company is expected to provide repairs and maintenance for 1,500 oil wells altogether. ‘Our maintenance center will offer local oil companies a whole range of maintenance services as well as geophysical work

The net profit of Novolipetsk Iron & Steel Works (NLMK) went down by 25.2% in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the last quarter of 2007. The profit dropped from 9,918,000,000 RUR in October-December 2007 to 7,417,200,000 RUR in January-March 2008 due to the new delivery and proprietorship terms of slabs and rolled products.

‘If the government decided to take some strict measures, the annual inflation rate could actually be kept at 10%. A certain degree of reasonable state interference (provided the external conditions are favorable enough) would do our economy good and might be able to slow down the price growth,’ says SKB-Bank’s Deposit Operations Director Denis Belogurov. In the meantime, the Bank of Russia’s First Deputy Chairman Alexei Ylyukaev announced at the State Duma meeting that the inflation was not going to exceed 10% in 2008. At the same time, the federal statistical bodies report prices have

The number of Ural Treasures Bank’s legal entities’ current and clearing accounts went up by 5.7% in January-March 2008, while the amount of money in the businesses’ accounts and private individuals’ accounts reached 1.555 billion RUR and 5.072 billion RUR, respectively, on April 1, 2008. ‘The bank was able to make these impressive achievements due to carefully planned product, price, and promotion strategies. In addition, we come up with some special offers for our customers on a regular basis,’ Ural Treasures Bank’s press officer said to UrBC. For one, the bank used to have the so-called

Koltsovo airport of Yekaterinburg is going to raise its jet fuel price by over 4.5% on May 1, 2008, so that it will amount to 24,360.00 RUR per ton, the airport reports. The airport last increased prices on December 12, 2007. Due to a 15.5% price increase, the fuel came to cost 23,300.00 RUR per ton.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Khanty-Mansiyskiy Bank to state-run for-profit organizations for 1 to 3 years went down by 66.29% (from 178 million RUR to 60 million RUR) in January-March 2008.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by UralFinPromBank to private individuals for 31 to 90 days went down by 40.12% (from 835,000 RUR to 500,000 RUR) in January-March 2008.

SKB-Bank is planning to organize a spring clean day on May 3, 2008 for all the city dwellers. The event is dedicated to First of May, the national Spring and Labor Day. All those willing to come are to gather in Yekaterinburg’s main square at noon to clean up the nearest park as well as to enjoy the performances of professional dancers and brass bands and to take part in games and prize-winning contests. A playground with some nice entertainment agenda and a trampoline will be available for the youngest visitors.

URSA Bank fully retired its sixth 1.5-million-bond issue (with each bond’s face value coming to 1,000 RUR) on April 24, 2008. The bank went through with the bond issue (file number 40600323) on April 27, 2006 with the backing from the Bank of Moscow. The bonds were to be in circulation for two years. Besides, the bank made all the bond coupon payments; the coupon interest rate was determined at 7.65% of the bonds’ face value and amounted to 19.07 RUR per bond. The bank made 28.605 million RUR worth of coupon payments altogether.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of natural persons’ deposits in Pervouralsk Joint Stock Commercial Bank valid for 31 to 90 days went down by 33.9% (from 6.277 million RUR to 4.149 million RUR) in January-March 2008.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Sverdlovsk Gubernskiy Bank to sole traders despite overdraft went down by 87.28% (from 7.341 million RUR to 934,000 RUR) in January-March 2008.

Ural Federal District’s division of Rostechnadzor (the state technological, nuclear, and environmental watchdog) carried out seventy-four inspections of various enterprises to check these companies’ compliance with the environmental legislation in January-March 2008, Rostechnadzor’s press officer reports. The local division of Rostechnadzor found out that Uralpredmet, Irbit-based motorcycle plant, Sinarskiy overhaul factory, Iset (the electric connector manufacturer), and a plant dealing in nonferrous casting were guilty of certain environmental offenses. As a result, the state body had to

Ural Airlines’ special flight is to deliver the Holy Fire from Jerusalem to Yekaterinburg on April 26, 2008. The tradition started five years ago; this year, a group of palmers was headed by the Archbishop of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturie Vikentiy. Although transporting open fire is in no way typical of an air carrier, once a year airports and airlines agree to the exception to the rules and allow passengers with open flame on board, provided the aircraft has been specially prepared and particular safety measures have been taken, Ural Airlines’ press officer reports. The Holy Fire will be

The Collective Agreements for 2008-2010 came into force at Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant and Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant (parts of ChTPZ Group) in April 2008. Due to the recent unification trend, the two plants’ agreements now look almost identical and combine the best social achievements of both enterprises. The new agreements’ major advantage lies in the increased number of social benefits and guarantees, especially for female workers and the employees’ children as well as for younger employees, the Group’s press officer said to UrBC. The female employees of both enterprises are now

Deposit Insurance Agency, the state-run corporation, reports that Yekaterinburg-based Grancombank (register number 27) and Voronezh-based Voronezhprombank (register number 658) were excluded from the deposit insurance system on April 15, 2008 due to their recent merger with Investbank (register number 259).

Sverdlovsk Region’s court considered the claim laid by Severouralsk Bauxite Mine (SUBR, part of United Company RUSAL) against a number of miners who were on strike from March 27, 2008 to April 4, 2008. The court officially denounced the strike as being illegitimate. ‘The court’s decision gives the employer the right to go for disciplinary punishment based on the Russian Federation’s Labor Code,’ the spokesperson for UC RUSAL said to UrBC.