MOSCOW, May 7. /TASS/. From the start of the state program of interest-free loans to businesses for payment of salaries to employees, Sberbank accepted applications for more than 35 bln rubles ($474.81 mln) and approved allocation of 16.4 bln rubles ($222.48 mln), Deputy Chairman of the bank's board Anatoly Popov told reporters on Thursday.

"From the start of the state program for loans for salaries at 0%, we accepted applications worth more than 35 bln rubles, approved — 16.4 bln rubles of loans and issued — more than 8 bln rubles. According to our estimates the salary was paid to about 300,000 people thanks to these funds," he said.

At the same time, according to Popov, Sberbank received applications for restructuring loans from 107 major customers, including 45 applications that have already been approved.