Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will hold a government meeting on Monday to discuss the current situation in the domestic banking sector and the strategy of its development until 2015, the government's press office reported on Sunday.
"The meeting will focus on measures to involve the Russian banking sector in active efforts to modernize the economy, first of all, by considerably improving the quality of banking services," the press office said.
"As part of the discussion on the banking sector strategy, the government will consider the guidelines of the government's and the Bank of Russia's work to develop competition in banking business, reduce the administrative burden on credit institutions, introduce modern banking technologies, develop financial services for small business and households, protect the rights of the consumers of financial services," the press office said.
As of January 1, 2011, there were 1,012 credit institutions in Russia entitled to carry out banking operations, including 955 banks. Their aggregate registered capital amounted to 1,186.2 billion rubles ($39.5 billion) and they employed a total of about 800,000 people.
As of January 1, 2011, the Russian banking sector's aggregate assets stood at 33.46 trillion rubles ($1.12 trillion), demonstrating a 13.7% year-on-year increase.
MOSCOW, January 23 (RIA Novosti)
