Railway loads rose by 3.6% in early April – Vladimir Putin
The growth was seen in both domestic and export transportation
In March, the growth of railway loads stood at about 2 percent, but in early April it was already 3.6 percent, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a videoconference meeting on economic issues. The meeting transcript is published on the official website of the Kremlin.
“Railway loads are up as well. You and I are well aware that this is one of the most important indicators of what is happening in real life. In March, this indicator stood at about 2 percent, but in early April it was already 3.6 percent, both for domestic and export transportation,” said the President.
According to him, there are reasons to believe that economic activity will continue to grow, “which we can see from an important parameter like the business activity index. In March, it stood at 56.8 points, which is the third highest figure ever and clearly indicates the growing optimism and positive outlook of domestic business”. Vladimir Putin emphasized that non-oil-and-gas revenue grew by about 14 percent, or 1.4 trillion rubles, while oil-and-gas revenue is slightly down by about 1.3 trillion rubles, “which is primarily due to the high base and pricing environment specifics on the global markets last year”. The President expects the situation to changed by the end of the second quarter when oil prices will rise, and extra oil and gas revenue will begin to flow into the budget.
However, “the situation remains difficult in the automotive industry and the timber processing industry, as well as in the production of chemical products and fertilisers”, said Vladimir Putin.
