CBR should further reduce refinancing rate - leading banker.

BARNAUL, August 15 (Itar-Tass) - The Central Bank of Russia has to
maintain its downward trend in refinancing rates to stabilize the market,
the president of the Association of Russian Banks, Garegin Tosunyan, said
in his reply to the question from Itar-Tass on the future of Russia's
banking system.

This year the Central Bank has already reduced the refinancing rate
five times.
"This trend has been registered but there is still no confidence that
this process will be continued," he said. "The Central Bank has to
maintain this trend. This will create stronger trust on the market.
Gradual reduction of the refinancing rate will lead to lowering inflation
and loan rates to the one-digit level."
On August 10, the CBR decreased the refinancing rate by 0.25 percent
from 11 percent to 10.75 percent. The refinancing rate of 13 percent has
been effective from December 1, 2008, to April 23, 2009. On April 24 it
tumbled to 12.5 percent and on May 14 - to 12 percent. As of June 5, it
was reduced to 11.5 percent and as of July 13 - to 11 percent.


.Moscow's authorities call on investors to build mini-hotels.

MOSCOW, August 15 (Itar-Tass) - Moscow city authorities called on
investors to build mini-hotels instead of offices in the center of the
Russian capital, said the head of the central administrative district,
Alexei Alexandrov.
At public hearings of Moscow's general plan until 2025 residents of
the capital's central administrative district opposed mass construction of
offices in the city center. This concerns not only the construction of new
facilities, but also of those that had been launched last summer, when
Moscow city mayor Yuri Luzhkov banned the construction of offices in the
capital's center.
"However by that time investors have already had their facilities
built in that area and the law as it is known has no retroactive force,"
Alexandrov said. "Taking into account wishes of Muscovites, we call on
investors to rebuild the yet-to-be offices into three-star mini-hotels as
this sector is now developing very actively in the city."
At present, Moscow feels the lack of hotels - there are 247 hotels
that can accommodate over 80,000 people. The capital is implementing a
program under which it will launch 302 hotels by 2015. The total fund will
comprise over 500 hotels to accommodate 150,000.
This year 32 hotels for up to 7,094 people will be opened in Moscow.


.Aeroflot supplements its fleet with A319.

MOSCOW, August 15 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's air carrier Aeroflot
supplemented its fleet with its fifteenth A319 plane, the Prime-Tass
business news agency said with reference to the air company.
This is the last airliner of A319 model that Aeroflot gets under the
deal on an operating lease concluded in 2008.
The air company receives all planes directly from the plant. All
airliners have two-class configuration and are designed for 116 (A319),
140(A320) and 170 (A321) passengers.
At present, Aeroflot has 56 planes of the Airbus family (A319/320/321)
in its fleet.