The State Duma has allowed the government to restrict access to Rosstat statistics. This includes data on GDP, population and commodity prices

The Russian State Duma has adopted in the second and third readings an amendment that gives the government the right, at its own discretion, to suspend the provision and dissemination of official statistical information in Russia.

The document was published on the website of the legislative support system. "The decisions of the Russian government on updating (correcting) the federal plan of statistical work may establish the features of access to official statistical information, including in terms of temporary suspension of its provision and dissemination," it says.

As Interfax notes , this concerns the government's right to restrict access to Rosstat statistics. According to current legislation , official statistical information, with some exceptions, is publicly available and can be distributed publicly.

The amendment was introduced by a group of deputies led by the head of the Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Maksym Topilin, to the government bill on the peculiarities of statistical accounting in the annexed territories of Ukraine - the self-proclaimed DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. It was proposed for the second reading of the draft law.

As reported by TASS and RIA Novosti , the amendment has already been approved by the Federation Council. However, there is no information about this in the legislative support system yet.

Meduza in Russia is now not only a "foreign agent", but also an "undesirable" organization. This status is much worse than before. Nevertheless, we continue to work. You can still read us. It is safe. Here are all the answers to the alarming questions.

• The federal plan of statistical work includes a study of the results of the population census, data on GDP, entrepreneurial activity, consumption of basic food products, goods and services and their prices, as well as other information. This plan is published on the Rosstat website.
• Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian government agencies suspended the publication of data that could be used to assess the economic situation. This included information on imports and exports, foreign trade , and oil production . In addition, Russian authorities declared information on the size of gold reserves and foreign exchange reserves a state secret.