Regions and municipalities need to have more authority to tax expensive sites - Siluanov

MOSCOW. May 23 (Interfax) - It would be advisable for Russia's constituent entities and municipalities to be given more powers in terms of the taxation of expensive sites, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said.

"We hear proposals to give the regions greater tax authority and expand their tax base. We believe that more powers should be given to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation as well as municipalities to tax expensive sites, land plots, and property transactions," he said at parliamentary hearings on changes to the tax system.

The minister also said that proposals had been made by the heads of regions and municipalities to convert the resort fee into a tourist tax. "We will consider this initiative," he said.

Because of the additional adjustment of the tax system, the regions will increase their tax base and receive additional financial resources for the implementation of national projects, Siluanov said.

Also, as part of the tax changes, there will be a redistribution of funds between regions - additional funds will be used, in part, to equalize the socio-economic situation of the subjects via transfers to the regions from the federal budget, he said.