Today in Russian Business – May 14, 2012

Acting Health Minister Tatyana Golikova is tipped to become the new finance minister, Bloomberg reports.  It has been reported that Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin could take defense tenders under personal control in a measure to facilitate the signing of state contracts.  Russia is currently testing an Italian Centauro tank.  Vladimir Putin has urged firms involved in the 2014 Sochi Olympics to stay within budget.  Georgian businessman and opposition political leader Bidzina Ivanishvili is planning to sever all business links with Russia, in a gesture of loyalty to his homeland.  As car sales creep up, RFE/RL reports that nearly half of all Russians now own an automobile.  Oskord, a firm which provides private security to major Western companies like IKEA and Procter & Gamble has been subject to a raid, which its founder, Just Russia State Duma Deputy Gennady Gudkov, claims is politically motivated.  Miner Polymetal has apparently sold a stake in its non-core gold deposit Veduga to Polygon Gold.