17 August 1999
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Tatarstan-Novy Vek Forms Local Branches
A branch of the Tatarstan-New Century (TNC) movement has been formed in the republic's second-largest city of Chally, Tatarstan radio reported on 16 August. Representatives of Russian Regions, Fatherland, Our Home Is Russia, the Ak Kalfak Tatar women's organization, and the Union of Afghanistan war veterans are co-founders of the branch. Director-General of the Chally carton- and paper-manufacturing company Sergei Titov, head of the KamAZ automobile company Ivan Kostin, and deputy mayor of Chally Yusup Yakubov are among the 20 members of the branch's Political Board. Gumer Nuretdinov, who is chairman of the trade union committee of the KamAZ automotive works and also chairman of the Chally city trade union federation, was elected head of the branch. Earlier, Novy Vek announced that its goal is to nominate "worthy candidates for Tatarstan's State Council and Russian State Duma seats." It is reported that the following organizational meetings of TNC be held in the Tuben Kama and Elmet regions of Tatarstan. Novy Vek already has branches in 20 regions of the republic.
Gasoline Prices Hiked Again
Tatarstan's oil suppliers association announced another hike in the price of gasoline on 17 August. High-octane Ai92, Ai95 and Ai76 types of gasoline now cost 5.8 rubles, 6.2 rubles, and 4.2 rubles, respectively.
Harvesting Gaining Speed
Forty-two percent of Tatarstan's grain has already been harvested, Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov was informed at a cabinet meeting on 16 August. The average yield is reportedly 1.9 tons of grain per hectare. Tatarstan's Minister of Agriculture Marat Akhmetov told the meeting that about 30 days are left till the end of the harvest, given the current rate at which crops are being brought in. Minnikhanov said he is unhappy about insufficient fuel supplies to state-owned collectives. He urged that measures be taken off to ward off a possible fuel shortage in September.
Negotiations on Wage Hike for State Employees Scheduled for September
The next session of Tatarstan's State Council will be held on 15 September, the parliamentary press center reported. That session will discuss the draft bill on a wage hike for state employees. At the beginning of this year, several officials had said the rise would take place in August or September.
Compiled by Iskender Nurmi