Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 24.12.2003

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 1499 of December 20, 2003 on the Call up for the Citizens of the Russian Federation Being in the Reserve to the Muster in 2004 (Excerpt)

In 2004, the call up applies to the citizens of the Russian Federation being in the reserve for the muster for up to two months in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Service of Special Communication and Information of the Federal Guard Service of the Russian Federation, civil defence troops, railway troops of the Russian Federation, engineering and road construction military formations of the Federal Service of Special Construction of the Russian Federation, bodies of the Federal Security Service including the border guard bodies and border guard troops.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 770 of December 23, 2003 on the Final Settlement of Obligations of the Russian Federation in the External Debt of the Former USSR to the International Investment Bank

Remaining obligations of the former USSR will be settled by exchange for the bonds of the external bond loans of the Russian Federation. The mentioned obligations include obligations of the Foreign Trade Bank under credits and deposits according to the agreements concluded with the International Investment Bank until December 31, 1991 inclusive on the basis of summary currency plans of the USSR endorsed by the Council of Ministers of the USSR having emerged under these agreements both before and after 1991.
The exchange will be carried out under the condition of assumed obligation of the International Investment Bank to refuse to demand interest and commission from the Foreign Trade Bank and the Russian Federation.
The Decision defines the financial terms of exchange of the obligations of the former USSR to the International Investment Bank.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 769 of December 20, 2003 on the Amendments to the Regulation on the Organisation of Public Works

Specifies that public works shall be carried out in organisations under contracts. The time spent by a citizen in paid public works does not interrupt the length of service and is included in the insured length of work entitling for the labour pension. Adjusts the reasons of recognising a job as fit for certain citizens. Amends the sphere of reference of the bodies of employment services.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 767 of December 20, 2003 on the Amendments to the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 785 of October 14, 1992

Specifies that the Ministry of Labour of the Russian Federation, at the presentation of the interested federal bodies of executive power, shall qualify the labour remuneration grades of the Uniform Tariff for the common industry sector positions of servants and for the main positions of the servants of the budget-supported sphere. According to the earlier wording, this was the sphere of reference of the ministries and agencies of the Russian Federation in coordination with the Ministry of Labour of the Russian Federation.
The Ministry of Labour of the Russian Federation shall also specify, at the presentation of the interested federal bodies of executive power, the labour remuneration grades of the Uniform Tariff for the employees of the budget-supported sectors depending on the employee qualification requirements or the work complexity or qualification group.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 766 of December 20, 2003 on the Amendment to the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 787 of October 31, 2002

Specifies that the Uniform Tariff and Qualification Guide of Works and Worker Professions consists of the tariff and qualification characteristics containing the characteristics of the main types of works according to worker professions depending on their complexity and their corresponding tariff grades, as well as the requirements to professional knowledge and skills of workers.
The Uniform Qualification Guide of Positions of Managers, Specialists and Employees consists of the qualification characteristics of positions of managers, specialists and employees containing official duties and requirements to the level of knowledge and qualification of the managers, specialists and employees.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 763 of December 19, 2003 on the Certificate of the Veteran of Combat Operations

Endorses the uniform specimen of the blank form of the certificate of the veteran of combat operations, its description and instruction on the procedure of filling, issue and registration of such certificate.
The veterans of combat operations shall implement their rights and benefits on the basis of the certificate of the veteran of combat operations or on the basis of the certificates of the right for the benefits, the specimens endorsed before January 1, 1992.

Order of the Ministry of Public Health of the Russian Federation No. 565 of November 25, 2003 on the Fixing of the Length of the Annual Paid Leaves to the Federal State Servants of the Central Office of the Ministry of Public Health of Russia

The federal state servants of the central office of the Ministry of Public Health of the Russian Federation, besides the annual paid leave of 30 calendar days, shall enjoy an additional paid leave for the length of service of the following duration: 5 calendar days for the length of service from 5 to 10 years, 10 calendar days for the length of service from 10 to 15 years, 15 calendar days for the length of service greater than 15 years. The main and the additional paid leaves are summed up and may be granted in portions at the desire of the state servant, with the length of one portion of the granted leave not permitted to be less than 14 calendar days.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 19, 2003. Reg. No. 5349.

Order of the State Statistics Committee of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 475/102n of November 14, 2003 on the Codes of the Figures of the Annual Accounting Reports of Organisations Whose Information Is Processed in the Bodies of State Statistics

The mentioned codes shall be applied by organisations being legal entities according to the legislation of the Russian Federation (other than credit organisations, insurance organisations and budget institutions) when presenting the annual accounting reports to the territorial body of the State Statistics Committee of the Russian Federation.
The Order is entered into force beginning with the annual accounting reports for the year 2003.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 18, 2003. Reg. No. 5342.

Order of the Russian Patent Agency No. 164 of December 11, 2003 on the Amendments to the Rules of Submission of Objections and Applications and Their Consideration in the Patent Disputes Chamber

The amendments bring the mentioned rules in compliance with the Federal Law No. 22-FZ of February 7, 2003 on the amendments to the Patent Law of the Russian Federation inasmuch as it pertains to the secret inventions.
The Order is entered into force from January 1, 2004.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 18, 2003. Reg. No. 5339.

Order of the Russian Patent Agency No. 163 of December 11, 2003 on the Amendments to the Rules of Registration of the Contracts of Transfer of the Exclusive Right for the Invention, Useful Model, Industrial Prototype, Trade Mark, Service Mark, Registered Layout of an Integrated Circuit and the Right for Their Use, Full or Partial Transfer of the Exclusive Right for the Computer Program and Database

The amendments bring the mentioned rules in compliance with the Federal Law No. 22-FZ of February 7, 2003 on the amendments to the Patent Law of the Russian Federation inasmuch as it pertains to the secret inventions.
The Order is entered into force from January 1, 2004.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 18, 2003. Reg. No. 5337.

Order of the Russian Patent Agency No. 166 of December 11, 2003 on the Amendments to the Procedure of Prolongation of the Patent of the Russian Federation for an Invention Pertaining to a Medicine, Pesticide or Agricultural Chemical

The amendments bring the mentioned procedure in compliance with the Federal Law No. 22-FZ of February 7, 2003 on the amendments to the Patent Law of the Russian Federation inasmuch as it pertains to the secret inventions.
The Order is entered into force from January 1, 2004.
Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 18, 2003. Reg. No. 5336.

Letter of the Ministry of Taxation of the Russian Federation No. OS-6-03/1316@ of December 17, 2003 on the Particulars of Calculation and Payment of the Value Added Tax in the Transient Period Pursuant to the Introduction of the 18% Tax Rate

According to the Federal Law No. 117-FZ of July 7, 2003, the VAT rate is reduced from 20% to 18% from January 1, 2004. When dispatching commodities (carrying out works, rendering services) regardless of the received payment for the mentioned commodities (works, services), the invoices are drawn up to the buyers indicating the appropriate tax rate as of the date of dispatch.

Letter of the Ministry of Taxation of the Russian Federation No. OS-6-03/1301@ of December 15, 2003 on the Calculation and Payment of the Excise Duty Tax for the Natural Gas from January 1, 2004

Explains that for the excisable mineral raw materials extracted before January 1, 2004, the excise duty tax is calculated and paid to the federal budget according to the legislation of the Russian Federation begin in effect before the mentioned date. Thus, when calculating and paying the excise duty tax for the natural gas from January 1, 2004, one should keep in mind the object of taxation is operations with the natural gas extracted before this date. Therefore, organisations must keep separate records of these operations. In the payment documents, initial registration documents and invoices, the appropriate amount of the excise duty tax for the natural gas extracted before January 1, 2004 should be recorded as a separate line except for the cases of selling of the excisable mineral raw materials outside the Russian Federation.