OREANDA-NEWS. November 13, 2009. The Russian Bank for Development together with the Secretariat of the RF President Plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal Okrug held a videoconference meeting with the senior officials of SFO, heads of the SME infrastructure support entities, representatives from the banks. Over 140 people attended the videoconference, reported the press-centre of RBD.

Among them were – Vladimir Pisarev, Deputy Plenipotentiary of the RF President in SFO; Mikhail Kopeikin, Member of the Board, Deputy Chairman of Vnesheconombank; Sergey Krjukov, Chairman of  the Board of RBD, representatives from the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, Administrations of the RF member entities, SME infrastructure support organizations operating in SFO.

The essential of the meeting was on-going implementation of the RBD’s SME Lending Support program in SFO. According to M. Kopeikin on the whole the rate of the program implementation can be considered as positive. At the same time it was stated that on average in Russia the counter-party banks had drawn 40-60% of the regional limits set by the Program. The statistics in the regions is unhomogeneous as well: in some member entities the limits were drawn out completely, and in some regions there were undrawn funds. The participants came to conclusion on identification of causes for unclaiming the funds.

In elaboration of this issue S.Krjukov, Chairman of the Board of RBD in his address detailed on the criteria for selection of the counter-party banks, allocation of the regional limits and the Bank’s interest rate policy. Moreover the participants discussed interest rates for end-borrowers and the systems of control over handling of public funds.

Such meetings were recognized as advisable – they advance immediate dialog and discussion of urgent problems.