The Russian Ministry of Finance has proposed increasing excise taxes on cigarettes and gasoline. A similar requirement is contained in the draft Main Directions of Tax Policy of the Russian Federation for 2015. and for the planning period 2016 and 2017, published on April 21 on the department’s website. Photo: ITAR-TASS If the new rules are approved, the minimum excise tax rate per 1000 filter cigarettes will be in 2015. 1250 rubles, and in another year it will reach 1600 rubles.

In Belgorod, the armed invader deprived of the license of the Central Bank of the Bank "West" surrendered to the police. Earlier, he released one of the hostages, reports the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Belgorod Region. Negotiations with him were held by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Major General of the police Viktor Pesterev.

The Russian economy will go into recession at the end of the second quarter, according to the Ministry of Finance. In the first quarter, negative GDP dynamics were recorded compared to the fourth quarter of 2013, the Ministry of Economic Development reported earlier. In the second quarter, the economy will also be in the red, expects Maxim Oreshkin, director of the strategic planning department.

The general director of VKontakte resigned. The executive director of the social network, Dmitry Sergeev, told RBC about Durov’s dismissal. Pavel Durov (Photo: Fotobank/Getty Images) The co-founder and CEO of the social network wrote his resignation letter on March 21. On April 1, he reported this on his page, but already on April 3, he stated that it was an April Fool's joke. However, Durov never withdrew his statement, Sergeev said.

In Belgorod, an armed attack on the Bank of the West Bank was committed, RBC correspondent was told in the regional department of the FSB. Photo: vk.com/belinter The regional Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed the fact of capture. According to preliminary data, an armed with a hunting rifle man entered the premises of one of the banks, he demanded to transfer a certain amount of money to him. There is information that three people are in the bank’s premises, the police said.

Residents of the free economic zone in Crimea can get rid of income tax, and investors from other regions can receive a significant tax benefit. Photo: ITAR-TASS Such proposals are prepared by officials of the Ministry of Economic Development, deputies and experts. The Ministry of Finance may not like them, because the benefits from them for the peninsula’s budget are not obvious.

The Bank of Russia, by its order, revoked the license to carry out banking operations from the Zapadny Bank (Moscow) from April 21, 2014. The reason for the revocation was stated to be significant unreliability of the bank's reporting and violations identified during the audit. Photo: RBC "The credit institution pursued a high-risk credit policy associated with the placement of funds in low-quality assets.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev appointed the former head of the Kalashnikov concern Konstantin Busygin as the head of the Federal Agency for the Russian Federation for the arrangement of the state border (Rosgranda), the press service of the government reports.

The Bank of Russia ordered four Ukrainian banks to stop trading as of April 21, 2014. on the territory of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol the activities of their separate structural divisions. The decision on this was made due to the failure of banks to fulfill their obligations to creditors and depositors.