According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by SberInvestBank to natural persons for a term of 91 to 180 days went down 82% (from 241,000 RUR to 41,000 RUR) in January-March 2007.

United Company RUSAL had its 10,000th ton of aluminum produced at Ural Alumina Plant, the company’s spokesperson for the Urals Roman Lukichev said to UrBC. The experimental 300-kiloampere electrolytic sections, employing the most advanced Russian equipment and high-tech know-hows, were launched on April 1, 2005; its peculiarity lies in that the complex is suitable for both producing aluminum and carrying out scientific experiments. The sections are meant for 300-kiloampere electric current, but the successful research and testing resulted in the management’s decision to raise the figure to

URSA Bank is going to be one of the major supporters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development forum in Kazan scheduled for May 20-21, 2007. The agenda of the upcoming forum provides for a wide range of events, including the opening discussion session devoted to the region’s future developmental strategy and the bank’s activity and its importance to global economy. Then, the participating countries will make presentations on the newest investment opportunities within countries where the bank is operating and provide for top executive meetings. There should also be plentiful

Ural Airlines resumed performing Yekaterinburg-Tashkent weekly flight on May 13, 2007. According to the carrier’s press officer, the cheapest tickets are available at ?170 plus the duties and fees; there is no fuel fee, though, if you acquire a ticket online. Unlike last summer, all Tashkent-bound flights will be performed using the modern and comfortable Airbus 320. ‘The re-introduction of the flight will make it possible for our customers to do the best planning when going on business or traveling; it will also ensure more transit flights with our interline partners who fly from Tashkent to

SKB-Bank has recently reduced the interest rates on mortgages provided for those willing to invest in having a dwelling built for them rather than for those buying existing homes. The annual interest rate went down 3%, so the top rate can now only amount to 16%; moreover, if you are able to provide some housing as the loan collateral for the construction period, the interest rate will be reduced to 15% a year. ‘The three-percent difference will definitely make a whole lot of difference to our customers. If you borrow 1.5 to 2 million RUR and have to pay 19% a year, it will be several thousand

Tyumen customs transferred 252.2 million RUR to federal budget in April 2007, Ural Customs Administration reports. This is 78.6% ahead of the target figures; 33,100 RUR were obtained through selling confiscated produce (231% better than the target figures), fines amounted to 140,900 RUR (8.4% ahead of the target figures). The customs managed to transfer 855.7 million RUR to the federal budget since the beginning of the year, which exceeds the initial plan imposed by Ural Customs Administration by 14.9%.

‘Our company’s pricing policy is normally determined by the market, namely, things like increases in oil and mineral oil prices that stimulate the export of these products from Russia and affect the home market opportunities; seasonal variations in demand (in the summer, oil consumption goes up by 15% on average, with demand for high-octane gasoline rising by 25%) is another influential factor. Given that Russian oil production output remains the same despite the increased seasonal demand, some shortage is usually felt and domestic wholesale markets start selling oil at higher prices,’ the

Governor of Sverdlovsk Region Eduard Rossel took part in Russian-Turkmen negotiations along with the other members of a delegation headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 11, 2007. Mr. Rossel was able to present his report on Sverdlovsk Region’s socio-economic development, its major industries, and innovational potential, all of which makes the area a promising field for Russian-Turkmen cooperation. ‘Sverdlovsk Region could supply Turkmenistan with rolled metal, tubes and pipes, medical, construction, and housing maintenance equipment, pumps and machines of all kinds,’ the Governor

Academic construction project currently implemented in Yekaterinburg by RENOVA Stroy Group has been getting a lot of attention both at home and abroad (namely, in Western Europe). Following the presentation at the international exhibition MIPIM 2007 held in Cannes, the project was praised by Europe’s major newspapers. ‘Academic construction project is Europe’s largest at the moment. The future district of Yekaterinburg is to be very ‘green’ since it will be located between two 600-hectare woodlands and next to a great park beside a river. Each part of the district will be situated near some

The participants of the annual meeting of Sverdlovsk Region Union of Metallurgical Enterprises looked at their industry’s success in 2006. The share of this branch in the region’s foreign trade turnover came to 25% last year, with the share of export reaching 27% and the share of import amounting to 17%, the spokesperson for the Governor of Sverdlovsk Region reports. The export of (primarily) ferrous metals went down against a year earlier, whereas the average contractual prices increased, which led to a general rise in export revenues. The growth of prices as well as of the actual volume of

The 22nd meeting of the Association of Regional Banks of Russia (Association ‘Russia’) is going to take place at President Hotel in Moscow on May 22, 2007. Among the points on the agenda are the association’s main business activities in 2005-2008, ways of enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of Russian banks on the threshold of Russia’s entrance to the World Trade Organization, and creating the best possible conditions for protecting the creditors’ and consumers’ interests. Besides, the attendees are planning to discuss issues related to improvements in the current banking legislation

Ural Turbine Plant (part of Renova Group) intends to spend nearly 11 million RUR on improvements in the employees’ working conditions and enhancing safety this year. This is twice the amount spent a year earlier; the sum has been agreed upon through some recent changes in the company’s collective agreement, the plant’s press officer says. ‘If you want the plant to develop, you need to upgrade the equipment and improve people’s working environment. We have only been able to deal with the primary challenges so far, but as soon as we have done this, we’ll move on to introduce more innovations,’

‘Bad world news has been affecting Russian stock market quite negatively,’ Alexander Sterkhov of SKB-Bank says. ‘Throughout last week, our stock market kept waiting to hear from the U.S. monetary authorities, which resulted in relatively small trading activity and RTS index fluctuations between 1,910 and 1,940 points. The index amounted to 1,892.3 points at the close of business on May 10, 2007 (which was 1.75% lower than a week earlier); MICEX index went down 1.86% and reached 3,299.6 points,’ he reports. May 10, 2007 was the last day for applying for VTB’s IPO; the number of applications is

Ural Airlines came up with a special offer for Children’s Day (June 1), available for passengers flying to Moscow or Saint Petersburg from Yekaterinburg or Chelyabinsk on June1-5, 2007. Any adult passenger can take along a child aged 2 to 18 for free. If the passenger is accompanied by three or more children, each child’s ticket will only cost 1,000 RUR (plus the fuel fee if you fly from Yekaterinburg-based Koltsovo airport). The offer is part of the carrier’s Affordable Tickets program aimed at making air travel affordable to people with different incomes, the airline’s press officer says.

BBDO Branding, URSA Bank’s re-branding partner, won in the ADCR Awards 2007 in the Graphic Design/Corporate Style & Re-Branding category. The assessing panel was to evaluate the bank’s logo, corporate style, printed materials and advertising leaflets. ‘It’s been a pleasure working with a client who you feel aspires to be a leader in both banking and design sector. On the one hand, the task was quite easy: two banks merging to become URSA Bank (a name suggested by Thomas Gad); the company’s new name implies certain allusions to the famous constellation (Ursa Major, or the Great Bear). On

Russian safety monitoring agencies found salmonella in a 25-ton shipment consisting of chicken backs from the U.S. and in 25 tons of Argentinean boneless beef. Rosselkhoznadzor (the state agricultural watchdog) said this was the reason why it decided to impose temporary bans on meat import from the U.S.-based Р-1257 and Argentinean FRIAR S/A 1970 beginning from May 15, 2007. The agency has already asked the American and Argentinean veterinary authorities to investigate the incident to make sure nothing of the kind happens again. In addition, a 19-ton shipment and a 5-ton shipment of ground

TGK-9, the local heat and power supplier, has been gradually lowering the temperature level in Yekaterinburg’s heat networks since May 10, 2007. The process will have been completed by May 20, 2007. 'These will be the non-residential premises like production facilities that will be cut out first, then it will be the city’s living quarters‘ turn, and finally, the heating season will be over in socially important buildings like schools, hospitals, and kindergartens. Mayor of Yekaterinburg Arkadiy Chernetskiy has already signed a provision regarding the end of the heating season and issued

Khortytsa’s (aka Hortiza) share of Ukrainian strong drinks market grew 10% over a year to make the company the country’s record-setting No.1, Khortytsa’s spokesman reports. MEMRB IRI (www.memrb.com), the major international research company, looked at the company’s success in the first months of 2007 and stated the consumers kept changing their preferences in favor of Khortytsa, whose market share has been rising all the time over the last 18 months. Khortytsa’s sales amounted to 28% of all the sales on the strong drinks market in March 2007, which made the distillery Ukraine’s top strong

A new federal cardiovascular surgery center will be started in Chelyabinsk in 2007; Head of Russian Federation Government Mikhail Fradkov has already signed a decree to this extent, acting Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Andrei Kosilov reports. Mr. Kosilov also says the new clinic is going to become Ural Federal District’s second high-tech medical center (there is one operating in Tyumen at the moment), with the number of such surgery hubs around the country expected to reach 15 units altogether. Chelyabinsk was chosen because of the outstanding preparation and lobbying by the region’s

Aviaprad’s Yak 40 flying from Moscow to Yekaterinburg had to opt for a crash landing at Koltsovo airport of Yekaterinburg, says the airport’s press officer. The plane was reported to be experiencing problems with the air conditioning system. The aircraft landed in Yekaterinburg at 2.25 PM, with firefighters and ambulance crew awaiting the passengers on the ground, but no damage had been done to the plane or the people on board.