Russian Federation Council meeting brought forward to Feb 22 at govt request due to need to adopt tax, budget laws
MOSCOW. Feb 15 (Interfax) - The Russian Federation Council session due March 1 has been moved forward to February 22 at the government's request due to the need to adopt laws related to the Tax and Budget Codes, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said.
"At the request of the government, we are moving the session from March 1; we'll shift it to February 22," Matviyenko said Wednesday at a Federation Council session.
"The government made a request to us: Before March 1, we need to adopt several laws regarding the Tax and Budget Codes, so that they will have come into force as of March 1 and we can have a normal budget process. Otherwise, we lose a month," she said.
Matviyenko then clarified why she decided to say this publicly.
"As soon as the Federation Council announces an additional meeting or the postponement of a meeting, a million versions immediately appear about some upcoming incomprehensible events," she said.
"I hope everyone hears this, and that from today, they'll stop publishing fake news about moving the council session," Matviyenko said.
The Federation Council will hold a plenary session on February 22 - a week earlier than planned, as it will be necessary to adopt laws that will come into force on March 1 and which relate to the new constituent members of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Timchenko, head of the committee on the rules of the upper house of parliament, said.
"It's because it will be necessary to pass laws that come into force on March 1. There is a long weekend ahead, so we are holding a meeting on February 22 so that the president has the opportunity to sign them, after which they will need to be published," Timchenko told Interfax on Wednesday.
The laws are connected with the further implementation of Russian legislation on the territory of the new subjects, as well as with the adjustment of tax legislation, Timchenko said.
The postponement of the session from March 1 to next Wednesday was due to the need to consider two important laws that amend the budget legislation quickly, before the end of the month, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Nikolai Zhuravlev said.
"We expect that, given their special social significance, the State Duma will accept them by this time," Zhuravlev said, according to the press service of the Federation Council
Specifically, the introduction of a new instrument is planned - special treasury loans for the regions, he said.
"On the President of Russia's behalf, 250 billion rubles will be allocated for these purposes. The Russian subjects will be able to use these funds to implement infrastructure projects. They will also be used to build social facilities on the territories of the new subjects," Zhuravlev said.
The Council also plans to consider a law aimed at regulating certain oil sector taxation issues necessary to harmonize tax revenues to the federal and regional budgets and to resolve some priority economic issues under current conditions.
"These changes must come into force no later than March 1 so that the mechanism works effectively starting with the next tax period," Zhuravlev said.
Meanwhile, a session is also scheduled in the State Duma at 12:00 on February 22 according to the database of parliamentary legislative activity.
"This is a scheduled session; it has been on the schedule for a long time; the only thing postponed was the government hour planned for that day with the participation of the Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov," Interfax was told in the Duma.