by Andrey Kiselev and Natalia Kusnetzova
Commercial information gathered for the 1st half of 1996 from the Russia-wide electronic network Relcom indicates a rise in
overall Siberian economic activity (increases in the fuel, energy and building sectors of market). The economic situation in Siberia
during this period has improved compared to other regions and decline in production was less than in Russia overall. Tables
reveal indices of industrial production and its shares in Siberian regions. Though during the 1st quarter of 1996 Siberia underwent
higher inflation rates than the Russian average (in most Siberian regions inflation indexes exceeded those of Russia overall by 0.2
- 0.9 percent with some exceptions), the 2nd quarter of 1996 changed this situation: inflation rates in Siberia averaged lower than
the Russian mean. As a result, Siberia underwent lower inflation in the first half of 1996 than in Russia as a whole (1.6%).