RUSSIA’S IMPORTS SOARING

. Russia’s imports of foreign goods topped 27 billion dollars in the first 8 months of this year, showing an increase of almost 15 percent over the same period in 1994. Partly responsible for the trend are food imports, mainly of meat and grain, up 47 percent and 27 percent respectively. Economic reformers charge that the Chernomyrdin government intentionally resorted to massive imports in the runup to the legislative elections with an eye to the vote of the biggest cities, which consume the bulk of imported food. (10)

Pluses and Minuses in the Energy Sector