New governor of Sverdlovsk Region Alexander Misharin is building a new team. He appointed 15 members of the government, including new ministers, last week. December 25 was announced a mourning day after 9 mine workers died because of ammonite explosion. Mega Bank from Tyumen had its license recalled. Government of Yugra placed its bonds at Moscow Central Stock Exchange. Find details in the weekly report by UralPolit.Ru.
New governor of Sverdlovsk Region Alexander Misharin is building a new team. He appointed 15 members of the government, including new ministers, last week. December 25 was announced a mourning day after 9 mine workers died because of ammonite explosion. Mega Bank from Tyumen had its license recalled. Government of Yugra placed its bonds at Moscow Central Stock Exchange. Find details in the weekly report by UralPolit.Ru.
Sverdlovsk Region
Estyuninskaya Mine
On December 23, 2009 explosive materials blew up accidentally in Estyuninskaya Mine, which belongs to VGOK (Vysokogorsky Iron Mines, EVRAZ-integrated company). Ammonite was transported down the mine to replenish on-site storage and exploded 180 meters down the shaft. 114 workers were evacuated immediately, 9 people died. The families of workers who were killed in the accident will receive 1.9 million rubles of compensation. A criminal case has already been opened following part 3 of article 216 of the Criminal Code (violation of safety rules during mining works).
New ministers
Regional Duma deputies approved appointment of three new ministers. Konstantin Koltonyuk, a 28 year old politician, became the regional minister of economics. Vladimir Levchenko was assigned to be the minister of governmental property management. Vladimir Vlasov became new minister of social policy. 15 more members of the regional government were appointed on December 21, 2009.
Fire in the theater
Serious fire at a Musical Comedy Theater spoiled the performance. Fire department received a call at 6.30 p.m. on December 26, 2009 when the performance was already running. When firemen came, theater’s personnel and spectators were evacuating, the total of 600 people. According to preliminary information, the fire started due to short circuit.
Market listings
The cost of shares of Corporation VSPMO-Avisma grew by 4.4 %. At the same time, oil prices fell by 8% and caused oil companies stock to fall in price. Thus, listings of Gazprom fell by 1.5%, listings of Rosneft – by 4.7%. LUKoil’s market capitalization reduced most of all (minus 7.5%). Gazpromneft is the only company that showed growth of 1.3% because it won a tender for oil processing in Iraq.
Chelyabinsk Region
Governor’s report
Governor of South Ural held end-of-the-year press conference last week. Pyotr Sumin acknowledged that 2009 is the most difficult and unpredictable year in the past decade. The governor promised that the region will restore industrial production volumes within 2 years. There is a plan of post-crisis recovery measures and it is working already. The government also started two new important projects. First, Clear Water, aims at improving the quality of drinking water available at people’s homes. The second project aims at raising efficiency of energy use.
Innovations and financing
The Second South Ural Innovations Forum opened in Chelyabinsk on December 23, 2009. The 5th regional salon of innovations and investments opened alongside with the Forum the same day. At the forum Chelyabinsk regional government presented a new instrument of innovations development – a Venture Fund with the capital of 480 million rubles. Innovators were able to present and defend their projects before the Board of the Fund and some of them received financing to put their ideas into practice.
Tyumen Region
License recalled
Mega Bank CJSC, based in Tyumen, had its license recalled by the Central Bank of Russia on December 23, 2009. The bank lost its license because it did not comply with the federal laws and normative acts of the Central Bank. Mega Bank also failed to fulfill its financial obligations to its creditors.
Entertainment facilities
Prosecutor service of Tyumen Region conducted fire rules compliance check-up at 968 night clubs. Violations were found at 460 sites. 41 entertainment facilities might soon be closed by a special court decree following the results of the check-up.
No back pay
Two big companies of the region, Tyumen Printing House JSC and Specstroivod LLC, paid 7 million rubles of wage debts to their employees. Back pay elimination finally became possible after the prosecutor service interfered and issued warnings to the companies’ administrations.
Khanty-Mansiisk Autonomous District - Yugra
Yugra’s Red Book
The governor of the District Alexander Filipenko amended the rules of information update of the Red Book of Rare Species of Khanty-Mansiisk Autonomous District. According to new regulations, the information is to be updates each time ecological situation changes and there are new data on species, but no less than 1 time in 10 years. The Red Book is the official document that lists rare plants and animal species or those in need of special attention. The Book also features territories of animal and plant world which have already extinguished.
Yugra’s governmental bonds
Government of Yugra placed three issues of governmental bonds at Moscow Central Stock Exchange last week. The government hopes to raise money to finance its investment program in 2010. Each issue costs 2 billion rubles with interest rates from 10 percent to 10.8 percent depending on the term of circulation (1 to 3 years).
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District
Political arena
Fair Russia political party held a regional conference last week and approved the lists of candidates who will participate in the elections of Legislative Assembly Deputies. The elections will take place on March 14, 2010.
A loud case of corrupt official gained the public’s attention last week. Ex-director of the Federal Migration Service Yamal Division Dmitry Zykov became the subject of the 5th criminal case. He is accused of receiving a bribe and multiple cases of power abuse.
Ural Industrial – Ural Polar
City Duma of Nadym held the last session in 2009 last week. It reviewed prognosis of social and economic development of the city for 2010 and strategy until 2012. The city’s economic development is closely tied with the gross industrial project Ural Industrial – Ural Polar.
Under this project a new railway and a highway will be constructed connecting Nadym with Salekhard. Much attention in the strategy will be paid to mining, production of hydrocarbons and processing industries. Production of goods using natural energy resources will also be a priority.