OREANDA-NEWS.  On 1 February 2008  Irina Zarya, the president of the PFTS, announced the creation of a special platform on the PFTS for IPOs. The current system allows new listed companies only secondary sales of shares through a brokerage company (a private placement). "What we are making is a specialized system which gives wider possibilities, allowing for both initial share issues as well as buying back shares," Mrs. Zarya said in the interview. The new IPO platform will be in place within three months. Mrs. Zarya also mentioned that companies from the engineering, agriculture, development and construction sectors in particular are interested in local IPO.

Additionally, Mrs. Zarya stated that the PFTS would "invest significant funds" in improving the trading system, which suffered technical glitches this month due to a surge in activity after global market volatility. According to her the PFTS trading system will have improved capacities by mid-February. Over the next 18 months the PFTS is planning to develop a completely new trading system for all trading platforms and give remote access to private investors.