Russian productivity: In an effort to transform Russia’s oil-dependent economy into a sustainable engine of growth, the government has unveiled a series of legal and financial measures aimed at fulfilling President Vladimir Putin’s ambitious pledge to increase Russia’s labor productivity 50% between now and 2018. The government’s new plan was published on Friday and sets out a series of industry benchmarks that, if attained, would see productivity in the aviation industry, the SME sector and construction rise by 200%, 50% and 30% respectively. The Moscow Times