NEW IMPORT REGULATIONS...The State Customs Committee issued a decree regarding import regulations. The following goods are now exempt from excise duties: trucks under 1.25 tons; car tires, covers and inner tubes; leather clothes; fur hats; crystal; diamonds; yachts and motor boats; hunting guns; and juice and cocktails.
INKOMBANK OPENS NEW OFFICES...The Inkombank Regional Center will open two new offices in St Petersburg, one at Moika 59 and the other at Leninsky Prospect 151. Bank officials hope to increase the number of depositors.
COMPUTER NETWORK NEEDS CASH...Organizers of an ambitious united St Petersburg computer network said last week that the project would cost around 2 trillion roubles ($420 million). According to AO Impuls and the holding company Leninets, the first stage of the project would cost about 2 billion roubles $420,000) and would link mayoral committees and agencies, administrative bodies, large enterprises, institutes and libraries. The network would replace old communication lines to link up many users and would ensure high-quality modem and audio-video communications.
OBLAST REVIEWS LAND PROJECT...The Leningrad Oblast also reviewed a land register project prepared by the Land Resources Committee. The project, meant to be completed by 2000, would create a computerized complex that would include real estate databases and cartographic information. The Vyborg District will be a test district for the register. The ambitious project will cost almost 200 billion roubles ($40.8 million), but according to the head of the committee, it would pay itself off fairly quickly. Oblast Governor Alexander Belyakov has said, however, that the register can be adopted only as a part of the existing register, which consists of construction, forest and mining registers as well.