OREANDA-NEWS. June 09, 2014. With in the Financial Awareness and Consumer Rights Protection Week in the Saratov, Volgograd and Astrakhan Oblasts there was a meeting in Astrakhan between Anna Zvereva, Deputy Chairman of the Board of SME Bank, Anatoly Gavrilenko, Chairman of the Bank of Russia’s Expert Council on Consumer Rights Protection, Alexander Kolankov, President of RCB Publishing House and Elina Polyanskaya, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Astrakhan Oblast - Minister of Economic Development. They agreed on further deepening and broadening of cooperation and promotion of measures of state support to entrepreneurship.

The SME Bank representatives took part in a master class for entrepreneurs and college students held in Astrakhan State Technical University. The participants were advised on state program implementation and financial instruments selection.

Since the beginning of the Bank’s Program implementation 150 enterprises in the Astrakhan Oblast have received over RUB 1 billion in lending support. Over 54% of resources were channeled to the innovative sector.