29 December 1999
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Shaimiev Says Tax Minister's Warning "A Form of Pressure"
On 28 December, President Mintimer Shaimiev described a recent statement by Russian tax chief Aleksandr Pochinok that the Tatneft and Bashneft oil companies must pay all federal taxes due by 1 February or lose their access to the export pipeline as a form of pressure. On the same day, Tatartstan's tax service told the AK&M news agency that Tatneft has been paying its federal taxes on time since August 1999 and that there was thus no basis for a cutoff. According to the Russian tax ministry, Bashkortostan owes Moscow 365 million rubles in VAT taxes.
European Court To Consider Bolgar Nationality Case
The European Human Rights Court has agreed to hear an appeal by Gusman Halilov, the president of the Bolgar National Congress concerning the refusal of the Russian authorities to register his nationality as Bolgar in his passport, Tatarinform reported on 28 December. The BNC insists that Bolgar was the name of the Kazan Tatars before 1917 and should be reinstated.
Tatarstan To Warm Up Arkhangelsk
Arkhenergo, the enterprise which supplies energy to Arkhangelsk, plans to purchase 30,000 tons of oil from Tatarstan for its heating system. Arkhangelsk currently is unable to heat many of its buildings because of an oil shortage. Deloivery of the oil has been slowed by bureaucratic delays in Moscow.