Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on...

"We are building an extra package of aid to small business in the amount of 13 billion rubles [$441 million]," Putin told an All-Russian forum on small and medium business.

Putin said the funds would come in addition to the amount of 10 billion rubles ($339 million) already projected in the 2010 budget.

Putin earlier said the Russian government would continue to fund investments intended to stimulate small and medium businesses to focus on hi-tech development, seen as crucial to the country"s exit from a commodity-based economy.

MOSCOW, March 23 (RIA Novosti)