10 December 1998
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Tatarstan To Face Budget Deficit Next Year
The Tatarstan State Council held a preliminary hearing on 9 December on the 1999 draft budget as submitted by President Mintimer Shaimiev. During the hearing, Minister of Finance Robert Musin said that there was a serious chance the 5 percent budget deficit could not be made up because of the failure by the Tatar government to collect taxes. This might force the government to cut expenditures, he said. Musin noted that the republic would avoid taking out additional loans to cover the budget deficit. Geliy Kobelev, the chairman of the budget commission of the Tatarstan State Council, said it would be difficult to increase the amount of taxes collected through the introduction of harsh penalties against defaulters. Instead, he suggested that several tax breaks or privileges be cancelled. He also demanded that the regional administration heads of Tatarstan report on the distribution of subsidies handed out by Tatarstan's Ministry of Finance. Budgetary expenditures for Tatarstan in 1999 will reach 13.8 billion rubles while income is expected to be 13.2 billion rubles.
Tatarstan Launches GKO Redemption Program
The republican press reports that Tatarstan's Cabinet of Ministers issued a decree allowing the payment of RKOs (republican treasury bills) for companies and enterprises. RKO holders may use them to pay taxes, rent or purchase properties owned by the republic, or to pay dividends according to the number of republican shares held.
Teachers Protest Wage Arrears
An increasing number of teachers in Tatarstan are supporting the hunger strike that is being held at high school No. 27 in Kazan. Teachers are refusing to eat to protest the continuing delay in the payment of their salaries. The largest amount of back wages are owed to teachers in Yar Challi and Zelenodolsk.
TURKSOY Ministers To Meet In Kazan
Culture ministers from the Turkic countries of the TURKSOY organization will hold a conference in Kazan on 15-17 December on developing Turkic history and art. The republican press reports that the conference will involve representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, North Cyprus, and the Russian republics of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Tiva, and Khakasia.
Compiled by I. Nurmi