Senators will reduce salaries

In order to save budget funds, members of the Federation Council decided to reduce their salaries. This was announced by Intefax by the head of the regulation committee Vadim Tulpanov.

"We are talking about reducing the salaries of members of our chamber by 10 percent. Based on the fact that the total expenses in the Council of the Federation are so much reduced, then, respectively, the salary of senators should decrease to this level," Tulipanov explained. He added that the Federation Council, in connection with the economic situation, also went to a decrease by 10 percent of transport expenses, including 10 percent of business expenses.

"At a meeting on Wednesday, March 4, the salary decision will be officially executed. Then we will think what else can be closed to in order to reduce expenses under other articles of our budget," Tulipanov noted. He also said that the Federation Council this year decided not to purchase new equipment. Senators are recommended, if possible, to limit themselves to air travel in the economic, and not in the business class.

The speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko believes that under the current conditions, parliamentarians need to give an example in the issue of saving. “I think that we should start with ourselves and show an example in this,” she said. According to her, proposals have already been prepared to reduce 10 percent of the total expenses of the upper house. Matvienko clarified that issues of salaries to deputies and senators are regulated by the presidential decree.