Energy Minister on profits of energy enterprises

Consolidated incomes of the enterprises of the fuel and energy sector was 255bn rubles (about $8bn) in Russia last year, Energy Minister Igor Yusufov declared at today's meeting of the Board of the Energy Ministry devoted to the 2002 results. At the same time the share of unprofitable enterprises grew by 53 percent in 2002, compared to 2001. At the same time the share of unprofitable coal producing enterprises was 63.2 percent and in the energy sector some 57.8 percent.