Upper house approves bill to extend exploration period in Siberia, Far East
ST. PETERSBURG. July 10 (Interfax) - Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, has approved a bill that extends the time for geological study of subsurface resources in Siberia and the Far East to seven years from five currently.
The deputy head of the Economic Policy Committee, Senator Sergei Shatirov, said the bill, which amends the law on deposits, provides for the geological study period to be increased to seven years at sections located wholly or partially within the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Kamchatka, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk territories, the Irkutsk, Magadan and Sakhalin regions and the Nenets, Chukotka and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous districts.
"The bill simultaneously increases the maximum size of the rates of regular payments for use of deposits for exploration and evaluation of the subsurface resources," Shatirov said.
It increases the maximum size of the rates: to 540 rubles (from 360 rubles) per square meter for hydrocarbons; to 225 rubles (from 150 rubles) for hydrocarbons on the shelf; to 405 rubles (from 270 rubles) for precious metals; to 225 rubles (from 150 rubles) for metals; to 205 rubles (from 135 rubles) for all placer deposits; to 135 rubles (from 90 rubles) for all non-metal, coal, oil shale and peat; to 75 rubles (from 50 rubles) for other solid subsurface resources; and to 135 rubles (from 90 rubles) for subsurface waters.
The higher rates will generate additional budget revenue: 120 million rubles for the federal budget and 160 million rubles for regional budgets, the Duma's Natural Resources Committee said.
The procedures for determining the specific rates of the regular payments for deposit use are established by the federal agency for managing the state's fund of deposits.
The bill is currently scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2014.
