Relevant State Duma committee finds several measures in Main Directions of Budget Policy to be irrelevant, supports draft budget

MOSCOW. Oct 25 (Interfax) - The State Duma Budget and Taxes Committee on Tuesday recommended Russia's draft budget for 2024-2026 for passage in the first reading, but noted the irrelevance of some objectives set in the budget, tax and customs tariff policy guidelines that were submitted to the lower house of parliament along with the budget plan.

"As stated in the preamble to the guidelines, their goal is 'to determine the conditions used in compiling the draft federal budget for 2024 and the planning period of 2025 and 2026, approaches to its formation, the main characteristics and forecast parameters of the federal budget and other budgets of the Russian budget system for 2024-2026.' However, materials have been submitted to the State Duma that include as tasks that are supposed to be done a list of sectoral measures that are not new and have already been carried out or are being carried out," the committee said in its summary review of the draft budget.

The committee's draft review contained far harsher criticism of the guidelines that was not included in the final version of the document posted in the Duma database.

The document also noted that Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said at a committee meeting on October 16 that the Federal Tax Service and Federal Customs Service have been tasked with increasing collection of taxes and levies by 500 billion rubles.

"The committee notes that taxes and levies are paid according to the procedure and amounts set out in the relevant Russian legislation on taxes and levies. And assignment of such 'tasks' to the tax and customs authorities to increase collection of taxes and levies should be carried out within the context of tax legislation," the review said.

The Duma plans to consider the draft budget in the first reading at a plenary session on October 26.