Izvestia
The Russian economy is losing additional revenues because of a lack of development in the tourist business. This is the conclusion reached by the State Council presidium that met in Gelendzhik under the chairmanship of President Putin. The session was devoted to the development of the health and recreation complex, Izvestia writes today.
The Krasnodar Territory, the country's main resort area, has 1,200 sanatoriums. Last year, they played host to 5.5 million people - 10% more than in 2002. Tax receipts from the industry rose by 35%, and the budget received more than 1.5 billion roubles.
Russian tourists, says Izvestia, spend $11 billion a year at world health resorts, which is several times more than within the country. The tourist business contributes a mere 3% to GDP, while in some Eastern European countries, e.g. Hungary or Bulgaria, the figure approaches 10%.
Krasnodar Territory Governor Alexander Tkachev believes that a federal agency for health resorts and tourism needs to be set up. He also thinks that state sponsorship should be used to advertise Russian sanatoriums. In his view, health centres should be made into special economic zones with an attractive tax regime for investors. Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref backs this idea. He thinks several "pilot" zones will show if the practice is worthwhile.
Rossiiskaya Gazeta
On Sunday, Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov inspected a naval review on the occasion of Navy Day and presented decorations to seamen in Sevastopol, the base of the Russian Black Sea fleet, Rossiiskaya Gazeta comments today.
In an RG interview, the minister stressed that the combat readiness of the Black Sea fleet had improved in every respect in the recent period. In 2005, a special federal programme will be launched to set up a naval base at Novorossiisk. But this does not mean that the Russian fleet will abandon Sevastopol. The minister said the core of the fleet would remain there.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta
Yukos is determined to fight for its assets, says Nezavisimaya Gazeta. Its chief financial officer, Bruce Misamore, says that company management will sue any firm that tries to purchase Yukos's main producing operation, Yuganskneftegaz, at a reduced price.
According to Yukos, the company has oil reserves worth more than $30 billion. Most experts evaluate Yuganskneftegaz at $7 billion. But, according to company representatives, the authorities are going to sell the Yukos subsidiary for $1.75 billion. In the view of the Yukos management and experts, this sum is way off the "fair" price.
Meanwhile, Nezavisimaya Gazeta points out, a certain consortium of British investors, represented by former Yukos shareholder Konstantin Kagalovsky, sent a letter to President Vladimir Putin on Friday, offering to buy out the Yukos controlling stake and pay the state directly. The letter said that financial investors were highly interested in co-operation with the Russian government and in formulating a development strategy for Yukos. The authorities, however, have not yet officially reacted to this offer, and are unlikely to do so, Nezavisimaya Gazeta notes.
Kommersant
The Interros holding has announced a joint venture with Siemens, Kommersant reports in a column. In an official statement, the company says the venture will hold 71% of Siloviye Mashiny. With all formalities completed, the Interros stake in it will rise to 50% plus one share and that of Siemens to 50% minus one share. At the same time, the sides signed an investment memorandum under which Siemens will within a maximum of five years invest about $200 million in the modernisation of Siloviye Mashiny. But the main thing is that it will be entitled in the intervening period to raise its stake in the venture to 100%.
In reality, the paper comments, this multi-tiered scheme means the sale of Siloviye to the German concern. An intermediate stage in the form of a joint venture to carry stocks is, in effect, a courtesy to the state.
