Today in Russian Business – Feb 3, 2012

Vladimir Putin has promised to compensate small businesses for any losses incurred on shares bought in the 2007 stock market floating of VTB: ‘Citizens should know that we will do everything possible to ensure that they do not have any losses.’  The central bank’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged indicates concerns that inflation, whilst currently falling, could pick up again later in the year.  A business forum organised by Troika Dialog and Sberbank addressed the question of how anti-government unrest will affect the current government structure.  An oversubscribed dollar trade by Sberbank suggests that Russian borrowers are immune to political risk, says Reuters.  The Moscow Times profiles Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik, who has set growth records in her sector.  The Federal Migration Service estimates that almost 14 million migrants legally arrived in Russia in 2011.   Rosoboroneksport has reported 2011 arms sales totalling $11 billion – $2 billion more than the previous year, even in spite of lost sales resulting from an arms embargo on Libya.  Toyota plans to invest $90 million in its St Petersburg factory over the next three years.