Uralsvyazinform announces the introduction of new tariffs for telecommunication services in Kurgan, Perm, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and Tyumen regions including Khanty-Mansyiski and Yamalo-Nenetski autonomous districts, coming into effect on August 1, 2003 under the respective decision of Ministry for Antimonopoly Policy of Russia as of April 16, 2003.

The monthly fee will be aligned in Kurgan, Perm, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk regions and Southern part of Tyumen region, and will amount to 130 rubles per month for residents and 175 rubles for organizations. Rural residents in Kurgan region will pay 120 rubles per month. Since the beginning of 2003 the tariffs have increased by approx. 40% for residents and 25% for organizations within the above regions.

The tariffs in Khanty-Mansyiski autonomous district will be aligned with these effective in Yamalo-Nenetski AD for organizations regardless the form of financing, and will amount to 345 rubles per month in urban network, and 290 rubles in rural network. The monthly fee will amount to 180 rubles for urban residents and 120 rubles for rural residents, being indicative of 33% tariff increase for this client group since the beginning of 2003.

The tariff will not be changed for organizations in Yamalo-Nenetski AD. Residents will see their monthly fee at 210 rubles if within urban network and 170 rubles in rural areas. The tariff growth represents 24% and 35% respectively.

Long-distance tariffs will remain unchanged throughout all the regions.

The packet change of local and long-distance tariffs will contribute to lower volume of cross-subsidization and is expected to raise the local telephony revenues by RUR340 mln.