NEWS

Today, the Alabuga Special Economic Zone saw the launching of the Russia’s first battery production plant with fully automated assembly line by Bars Technology. The opening ceremony was attended by Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Albert Karimov, as well as representatives of Tatarstan ministries and agencies.

The objectives behind the establishment of the facility is to reach the output up to 4 million batteries per year by 2022, thus becoming the leading player in Russia in the automotive battery market and a leading battery supplier to country's automotive manufacturers. To date, project investment amounted to RUB 1.6 billion. Some 100 jobs have been created, and after reaching full production capacity their number will grow up to 350. The total investment in the project should come to about RUB 3 billion.

The second phase of the plant is scheduled for commissioning by 2019. The annual output will then reach 3 million batteries per year, which is some 15 percent of the entire Russian market.

The industrial development in the country is conducted in accordance with one of the May 2012 decrees by the Head of State (No. 596 “On State Long-Term Economic Policies”).

Today, the Alabuga Special Economic Zone saw a ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the mineral fertiliser production plant, with the participation of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov. The event was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Albert Karimov.

The mineral fertiliser production project was granted the resident status in the SEZ Alabuga as late as in September 2017. It is expected that the production will be launched by the end of 2018. The designed production capacity is 120,000 MT of products per year. Inco-TEK Agro Alabuga will produce compound fertilisers.

“This will be a fundamentally new product. We plan to produce compound granulated fertilisers, designed for both individual crops and specific fields by taking proper account of their peculiarities”, explained company’s head Aleksandr Babynin.

The facility is being built up at the junction of the oil-producing and agrarian industries; many of the oil industry's practices are successfully introduced during the project implementation process. As the result, the company expects to both increase the crop yield and give the agrarian industry an impetus to move to a present-day level of environmental safety.

On December 9, the United Nations initiative marks the International Anti-Corruption Day. On this day in 2003, the United Nations Convention against Corruption was opened for signing in the Mexican city of Merida.

The objectives behind the establishment of the International Anti-Corruption Day is raising public awareness about corruption and enhancing the role of the Convention in preventing and combating it.

To date, the Convention has been signed by about 140 states and ratified by about 80. Among them are Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. This international treaty provides for measures to prevent corruption, punish perpetrators, as well as mechanisms for international cooperation in combating it. It obliges member states to pursue policies of combating corruption, approve relevant laws, and establish special bodies to fight against this phenomenon.

On this day, many countries of the world hold demonstrations, meetings, conferences, seminars, and other events timed to the International Anti-Corruption Day. Russia is no exception. Public organisations, educational institutions, government officials, law enforcement agencies, and all committed citizens in many Russian cities organises various events on this day, and print and distribute leaflets and posters telling about the harm of corruption and methods for fighting it.

From December 6 to December 7, Kazan hosted the 3rd Scientific and Applied Conference “Increasing Labour Productivity in the Defence Industry through Present-Day Production Management Methods”. The event took place at the Volga State Academy of Physical Culture, Sports, and Tourism with the support from the Board of the Russian Military Industrial Commission, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Government of Tatarstan.

The conference was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Russia’s Defence Industry Board Oleg Bochkarev, Advisor to Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Yuliya Urozhayeva, Tatarstan Prime Minister Alexey Pesoshin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Albert Karimov, and representatives from a number of Russian defence industry enterprises.

The mission of the conference was to develop recommendations on the use of present-day management methods and tools aimed at increasing labour productivity at defence industry enterprises. These issues were discussed at the plenary session.

On the second day, December 7, conference participants made a tour of four enterprises in Tatarstan, namely the Kazan Motor-Building Production Association, the Sergo Plant (POZIS), the Kazan Helicopters, and the Zelenodolsk Shipyard.