VCSP HANDLED 30% MORE OF EXPORT CONTAINERS

Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port handled 4,464,000 tons of cargo during 7 months of this year (+7.4% on July 2003).

As spokesman for the port informs, about 75% of total cargo turnover was export steel products. The breakdown of cargo during 7 months was as follows: 3.53 million tons - export cargoes, 318,000 tons - import cargoes, and 578,000 tons of coastal cargoes.

VCSP handled 1,630 ships during 7 months versus 1,054 a year ago and 71,005 wagons (69,026 a year ago). Vladivostok Container Terminal (VCT) handled 55,372 containers (+13%). Container traffic grew by 9% on routes to Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Chukotka (30,639 containers). The port also handled 7% more of imported containers (11,008 units) and 30% of export containers (13,725 units). - Yulia PROKHOROVA.

CONTROL OF VODKA SALES TIGHTENED

A special group of law enforcement officers and controllers will be organized in Primorsky Krai to keep close control of the alcohol market.

Because of illegal vodka sales in the market, the regional budget lost more than one million rubles of excise taxes during last months, says Marina Simakina, chairman of the Committee for Trade and Consumer Rights Protection.

Law-abiding producers seek for assistance from the regional authorities, who should stop illegal alcohol deliveries that inundate local markets, believes Gennady Reznikov, chairman of the association of alcohol sellers and producers.

Authorities say that interception of illegal vodka is responsibility of police. However, by words of Marina Simakina, after nearly 28,000 liters of illegal alcohol was confiscated in the course of a dragnet involving 160 people, necessary documents suddenly appeared for all confiscated alcohol. Officials have doubts regarding efficiency of actions taken by police.

FILE: Primorsky Krai's main producers, Ussuriisky Balsam and Argo-1, produced 627,000 decaliters in the first half of 2004, of which they sold only 604,000 decaliters. Figures on wholesale and excise warehouses show even greater reduction of legal alcohol sales - 590,000 decaliters (compared with 704,000 decaliters in the first half of 2003). This reduction does not mean that people drink less alcohol.

Such a large amount of illegal vodka cannot be home-made or falsified in small sheds. Illegal vodka comes to Primorye by rail. It is normal good vodka produced by same distilleries working with legal suppliers. But it is gray business, says one of local vodka moguls in an unofficial conversation.

Specialists of Atlas regulatory authority say that local excise warehouses take part in this business and falsify excise stamps by scanning them. Wholesalers and warehouse operators, in turn, are dissatisfied with Atlas' performance. They believe that the accounting and recording system is imperfect. Accounting software of 1C type does not match Atlas' software. Developer of its software is based in St. Petersburg and cannot update programmes in due time. As a result, many excise warehouses have to wait for regional excise stamps. Operations of alcohol wholesalers were virtually frozen, Gennady Reznikov asserts.

Another aspect of the alcohol problem is deliveries from abroad. While wine and cognac consumption grows, its suppliers are based in foreign countries varying from CIS states to Latin America. This produce is not handled by excise warehouses and its amount cannot be investigated.

Marina Simakina says that the situation may change soon: "We're organizing a group consisting of police officers, state trade inspectors, tax inspectors and other regulators. It will check retail outlets and investigate sources of illegal and low-quality vodka supplies. This group will learn its route a few minutes before departure."

Vodka moguls support the idea of such a group not subordinated to police and promise to assist in getting information about illegal deliveries. Such spot inspections will also identify dishonest sellers, because "retail trade is our least control link today," says Nikolai Korman, director general of Gepard firm.

Whether such actions will have any effect, will be seen already in September. "ZR" will watch developments. - Yury NURMUKHAMETOV.

AGROPROMCREDIT HAS MORE RESOURCES ON INDIVIDUAL DEPOSITS

Resources on individual and corporate deposits have grown twice and thrice, respectively, at the Vladivostok branch of Agropromcredit bank since year's beginning.

As "ZR" was informed at the branch office, clients also widely use such services as customer and mortgage loans. Popular with corporate clients are bills of exchange for settlements with suppliers, sale and purchase of cash foreign currency. - Anastasia DENEZHKINA.

DALVNESHTORGBANK REACHES OUT TO PRIMORYE

In addition to its branch in Ussuriisk, Dalvneshtorgbank plans to start operations in Vladivostok, Artem and Nakhodka.

The bank provides a full range of banking services, but, as its main target group is individuals, emphasis is placed on individual deposits and installment programmes. In the near future, Dalvneshtorgbank will receive payment for utility services. Besides, it will start serving Golden Crown credit cards.

NOTE: Dalvneshtorgbank was established in Blagoveshchensk in 1991. Its founders are juridical persons (KPA-Sibacadembank) and individuals. The bank is fully controlled by OAO Sibacadembank with assets exceeding 10 billion rubles. It operates in Blagoveshchensk, Ussuriisk, Khabarovsk, Chita and finished 2003 with 1,036,000 rubles in the black. As of 1 April, its assets amounted to 261 million rubles, credit portfolio was 155 million rubles, balance of resources on deposits exceeded 153 million rubles. - Tatiana KOZINA.