15 December 1998
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Treasury Departments To Prevent Abuse Of Funding
On 14 December, Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov held a press conference on introducing treasury departments that will oversee the funding of all republican enterprises beginning January 1999. The department will seek to prevent the abuse of such funding by regional and municipal officials. Mayor of Kazan Kamil Iskhakov argued that the new system makes local administrations unnecessary, stressing that such "centralization of powers will have a negative influence on republican economy." Minnikhanov responded by saying that the "personal ambitions of government officials should not be taken into consideration whendealing with state matters." Minister of Finance Robert Musin agreed that the new system will be effective in preventing the abuse of republican funding.
Federal Government Centralizes Tax Collection
In an interview with local television, Minister of Finance Robert Musin said the Russian Ministry of Finance is reluctant to prolong the treaty on dividing taxes collected in Tatarstan between the federal and republican budgets. The federal government, he said, insists on receiving al collected taxes and having the right to consider the funding of the republican budget. A 1998 treaty between Tatarstan and the federal government stipulates that some 2 billion rubles in tax revenues will be granted to the republic. Budget revenues total 13.2 billion rubles.
Radiopribor To Work With Civilian Customers
The republican press reports that according to a recent directive issued by Russian Prime Minister Yevgenii Primakov, Kazan's Radiopribor electric appliances factory is no longer subordinated to the federal Ministry of Defense. The factory administration noted that it will now have more opportunities to get well-paid orders from civilian customers. Nevertheless, it added that Radiopribor is prepared to continue producing equipment for the military.
Compiled by I.Nurmi