OFFICIALLY

President

Conducted the first meeting of the Council on Physical Culture and Sports. Opening the meeting, Vladimir Putin called the main task of this council the revival of mass sports and mass physical culture. In addition, the president noted that Russia “needs to develop a clear and effective sports policy.” In 2003, the budget provides for a doubling of financial resources allocated to finance physical education and sports. Vladimir Putin also said that it is necessary to create “a system of incentives that would allow the development of sports through various sources of financing, in particular through entrepreneurship.” He also noted that, despite the fact that Russian sport has a long winning tradition, now in some sports we “sometimes lose ground.” In this regard, the president stated that the activities of the council should not ignore high-achievement sports.

Prime Minister

Signed an order on the composition of the Federal Anti-Terrorism Commission. The prime minister himself is the chairman of the commission, his deputies are the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Boris Gryzlov and the director of the FSB Nikolai Patrushev. In addition, the commission included another 22 people, 11 of them belong to various law enforcement agencies, the remaining members of the commission represent organizations that are part of the executive branch and oversee transport, energy, healthcare and other areas important for ensuring the normal functioning of the state. So, for example, along with the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Anatoly Kvashnin, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Rashid Nurgaliev and First Deputy General Director of FAPSI Valery Korichnev, the commission included Deputy Head of Minatom Anatoly Kotelnikov, Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Russia Gennady Onishchenko and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Safonov .

Signed an order allocating subsidies from the fund for reforming regional finances. The total amount of allocated funds will be 600 million rubles. These subsidies are sent to Karelia, Krasnodar and Khabarovsk territories, Saratov and Astrakhan regions.

Government

Ordered to submit to the Duma a draft law amending Chapter 31 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. It regulates fees for the right to use wildlife and aquatic biological resources. Changes will also be made to some other federal legislation. The draft establishes fee rates for the right to use aquatic biological resources in the amount of 3-7% of the wholesale price of products. It is planned that small-numbered peoples and city-forming enterprises will be provided with benefits. According to the Ministry of Finance, budget revenues from the implementation of the bill will amount to about 7.5 billion rubles.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations decided to allocate another 4.2 million rubles. These funds should go to pay for emergency rescue work after the summer floods in southern Russia. The money was allocated from the government's reserve fund for the prevention and liquidation of emergencies and the consequences of natural disasters. In addition, from the same fund, by the end of 2002, 61.09 million rubles will be paid to the administration of the Krasnodar Territory. These funds will be used to provide assistance to citizens affected by heavy rains and a tornado.

Approved an action plan for the implementation of the General Agreement between all-Russian trade union associations, employers' associations and the Russian government for 2002-2004. Federal executive authorities have been appointed as responsible executors. They must report quarterly to the Ministry of Labor on the progress of this plan.

Replaced the representative of the Russian government in the joint committee on the Kharyaga field project. Previously, this post was held by Deputy Minister of Energy Leonid Tropko; he must now be replaced by his boss, Russian Energy Minister Igor Yusufov.

Departments

The Ministry of Taxes and Duties divided its department of material support and capital construction in two. Now, a separate department of material, technical and social security and a department for organizing capital construction are being created within the department’s structure. Nikolai Rutskoy was appointed head of the department of material, technical and social support, and Alexander Sizov was appointed head of the capital construction organization department.

The Treasury has set aside £16.464 million for payment to the IMF . This payment will be made on December 17th. This is the second payment to the fund in December. In total, Russia is due to make four payments to the IMF this month totaling about $130 million.

The Russian State Statistics Committee reported that from December 1 to December 9, inflation in the country amounted to 0.5%. The average daily price increase these days was 0.059%, while in November of this year it was 0.053%. Inflation in November 2002 was 1.6%, and in January-November 2002 - 13.3%. The 2002 budget law sets inflation at 12%.

State Duma

The Lower House of Parliament adopted in the second reading a bill abolishing the tax on the purchase of foreign currency from January 1, 2003. 278 deputies voted “for”, 64 people were against. Currently this tax is 1% of the transaction amount, but tax authorities consider it ineffective. According to Igor Dines, a member of the Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes, the share of this tax in budget revenues is only 0.15% of total tax revenues.

In the third (final) reading, amendments to the law “On the procedure for leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation” were adopted. They establish that a foreign citizen or stateless person upon entering Russia is required to receive and fill out a migration card, which must be returned upon leaving the country. The form of this card and the procedure for its use are established by the government. The grounds for issuing Russian visas to foreigners have also been clarified, and a division of visas has been established into diplomatic, service, ordinary, transit, and visas for temporary residents. It is also stipulated that foreign passengers of cruise ships arriving in Russia through sea and river ports can stay on Russian territory for 72 hours without visas. There have also been cases when foreigners cannot be admitted to Russian territory. In addition to “ensuring the defense capability or security of the state,” the basis for refusal may be an outstanding or unexpunged conviction for committing a serious or especially serious crime on the territory of Russia, as well as the absence of a health insurance policy.

Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee Andrei Nikolaev yesterday held a briefing for foreign military attaches . The meeting, the seventh in a row, brought together more than fifty diplomats in uniform. Andrei Nikolaev spoke about the work of the committee, which in the past year held 37 meetings and considered 171 issues important for Russian defense structures.

Answering questions from military attaches, Mr. Nikolaev, in particular, said that the funds included in the military part of the 2003 budget will not significantly improve the condition of the army and navy. The chairman of the committee considers it necessary to revise Russia's military doctrine in connection with the change in the National Security Concept; he also spoke in favor of a mixed method of recruiting the armed forces.

Based on materials from news agencies and our own information