Transparency of thoughts

The authorities will reduce the tax burden on charity, but expect cooperation from philanthropists

Dmitry Medvedev promised yesterday to reduce the tax burden on charitable activities in Russia. The president spoke about this yesterday at a meeting with members of the board of trustees of the National Charitable Foundation. The head of state noted that recently in Russia increased attention has been paid to creating a regulatory framework for charitable activities, and the State Duma is preparing a draft law to reduce the tax burden for philanthropists.

Dmitry Medvedev wants interaction in the field of charity between the state, business and non-profit organizations to become closer and more intense. The President believes that joint efforts should be focused, in particular, on supporting the families of fallen Russian military personnel and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB. In 2009 alone, 235 law enforcement officers lost their lives in the North Caucasus, and another 686 were injured. “We are all indebted to these people, their actions, we pay tribute to their memory and are obliged to help their families as much as possible,” Mr. Medvedev said. In practice, this assistance should be expressed in resolving housing issues for law enforcement officers. According to the president, although this problem is mainly dealt with by the state, it is “correct and moral” to sometimes use a “universal public-private instrument.”

The head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Alexander Shokhin, immediately responded to Mr. Medvedev’s words. He proposed transferring funds from the National Charitable Fund not only for the purchase of new housing for military personnel, but also for the purchase of apartments in frozen projects, which are often completed but remain idle due to bureaucratic red tape or inconsistency. In addition, Mr. Shokhin said that tax benefits should be received not only by individuals involved in charity, but also by legal entities. At the same time, he emphasized that receiving benefits should be possible only if there are strict requirements, a certain level of company obligations and a clear list of charitable programs. “This should ensure not only the recognition of charitable activities as socially useful, but also the transparency of these activities, including the mandatory publication of annual reports on the expenditure of funds,” Mr. Shokhin is convinced.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', who is the chairman of the fund’s board of trustees, told the meeting participants about the assistance provided by Orthodox parishes to the population of Kyrgyzstan. “They have become shelters for people, priests risk their lives to save Kyrgyz and Uzbeks, Muslims, Orthodox Christians, provide them with assistance with medicines that they receive from Moscow, and feed people. I believe that in the future we could think about ways to honor the people for this heroic work. Nobody knows about it, but this is real charity,” said the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Artem KOBZEV