08.02.2023

FEDERAL LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICE PUBLISHED AN INSPECTION PLAN OF ‘HIGH-RISK’ EMPLOYERS

The plan of on-site inspections for the current year is posted on the official website of the Federal Labour and Employment Service.

It includes employers whose activities are classified as high risk; deadlines for inspections are determined.

07.02.2023

REPORTS TO THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE TO BE FILED IN A NEW WAY: EXAMPLES OF FILLING IN NEW REPORTS ARE PREPARED

From January 1, 2023, new forms have been established for employers to submit information to employment service authorities, including, for example:

report on the decision to liquidate the organisation or terminate the activities of the individual entrepreneur, reduce the number or staff of employees of the organisation, and possible termination of employment contracts;

report on the organisation of remote work;

unpaid leave report;

information on created or allocated jobs for the employment of persons with disabilities and etc..

06.02.2023

EQUIPPING CITY BUSES AND TROLLEYBUSES WITH TACHOGRAPHS WILL BE DELAYED FOR ANOTHER YEAR

It is likely that the requirement to equip vehicles of categories M2 and M3 with tachographs that carry out regular transportation of passengers in urban traffic will not be valid until March 1, 2025, and not until March 1, 2024.

03.02.2023

LAW ON DIGITAL SIGNATURES: AMENDMENTS TO THE PROVISIONS ON THE FINANCIAL MARKET

On January 24, 2023, the Duma approved, in the first reading, amendments to the Law on Digital Signatures. Participants in the financial market will be allowed to delegate powers using digital signatures. The Certification Centre of the Central Bank will issue verification key certificates to all subjects of the national payment system, to persons and entities that provide services in the financial market, self-regulating organisations operating in the financial market and self-regulating organisations involved in providing services in the financial market.

02.02.2023

ASPECTS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN EXPORTING FROM RUSSIA SEVERAL TYPES OF CURRENCY, SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH ROUBLES

The procedure for currency export from Russia is the following:
- export in an amount exceeding the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars (at the exchange rate as of the date of export) is temporarily prohibited;
- if the currency of different states is exported simultaneously, each currency should be converted into roubles, and then the total amount should be converted into US dollars;
- the export of roubles and cash in the equivalent of up to 10 thousand US dollars is not limited.
- if roubles are exported along with the foreign currency and the total amount of cash exceeds the equivalent of ten thousand US dollars, then the entire amount is subject to declaring.

01.02.2023

THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR ADJUSTS THE QUOTAS FOR 2023 FOR ATTRACTING FOREIGN EMPLOYEES

It is planned to adjust distribution for 2023 among the regions of the quota for issuing to foreigners arriving in Russia on the basis of a visa, work permits, including by professional qualification groups, and invitations to enter for the purpose of performing labour activities. However, the quota reserve to be reduced.

31.01.2023

OPTIONS PROVIDED BY THE SERVICE ‘ONLINE ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITIES’ ARE EXPANDED

The RF Government has regulated the issues of online admission to universities as part of the admission campaign for the 2023/24 academic year. The process of submitting documents for online admission to a university has been simplified: certain details that previously should be finger-tipped will now be uploaded automatically. New state information systems have been additionally connected to the service "Online admission to universities". Among them are the following:
- "Physical Culture and Sports" platform, that is resource containing information on children with outstanding abilities;
- an information system in the field of volunteering activities, etc.
Achievements in these areas allow additional points for entering a university. For example, they may be obtained if the applicant has a GTO badge (Ready-for-labour-and-defence) or won the All-Russian Olympiads.

30.01.2023

ALL-RUSSIAN REVIEW TESTING FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN STARTS IN MARCH

According to the schedule approved by the Federal Service for Supervision in the Field of Education, all-Russian review testing for schoolchildren studying in institutions of general education to be held from March 1 to May 20, 2023. The specific dates for each class and school subject to be determined independently within the period established by the schedule.

27.01.2023

THE LIST OF FOREIGN CURRENCIES WHOSE OFFICIAL EXCHANGE RATES AGAINST THE ROUBLE ARE SET BY THE CENTRAL BANK OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION HAS BEEN EXPANDED

It is informed that starting from January 18, 2023, the Bank of Russia will set the official exchange rates of the rouble against another nine foreign currencies. These are the UAE dirham, Thai baht, Vietnamese dong, Serbian dinar, New Zealand dollar, Georgian lari, Indonesian rupiah, Egyptian pound and Qatari rial.
Thus, now the Central Bank of the Russian Federation sets the rates of 43 foreign currencies against the rouble.

26.01.2023

LARGE COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE AREA OF ENERGY, ENGINEERING OR TRADE CAN TAKE CORPORATE DECISIONS WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE VOTES OF CO-OWNERS FROM UNFRIENDLY COUNTRIES

Until the end of 2023, votes belonging to persons from unfriendly countries or to persons who are appointed from among the candidates nominated by persons from unfriendly countries may not be taken into account when determining the quorum and voting results on the agenda items. The provisional decision-taking procedure applies to Russian companies that simultaneously meet the following conditions:
- the company operates in the area of energy (including electric power), mechanical engineering or trade;
- the controlling person or beneficial owner is subject to foreign sanctions or restrictions;
- persons of unfriendly countries own no more than 50% of the amount of the authorised capital of the Russian company;
- the total revenue of the Russian company for the year preceding the year the decision was taken exceeds 100 billion roubles.

25.01.2023

THE CABINET OF MINISTERS HAS REGULATED THE PROCEDURE FOR PROHIBITING AND RESTRICTING THE TRANSFER OF PERSONAL DATA ABROAD

The procedure for taking a decision to prohibit or restrict the cross-border transfer of personal data by the authorised body, as well as the procedure for informing operators of such a decision has been established.

The decision to ban or restrict is taken by the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications based on the submissions received. They can be sent by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation or other authorities authorised by the President or the Government of the Russian Federation to ensure the protection of the economic and financial interests of the country.

The adopted decision is sent to the authorised body that submitted the submission, as well as to the operator no later than the day following the day of its adoption, by any available method that allows confirming the fact of its receipt.

24.01.2023

SOME ISSUES OF NATIONALIZATION OF SAKHALIN ENERGY INVESTMENT COMPANY, LTD. HAVE BEEN CLARIFIED

Earlier, the President ruled out specifying the period for the sale of the unclaimed stock in the nationalized Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd.. The Government of Russia made the relevant changes to the rules for conducting an audit and the rules for evaluating and selling a share in the authorised capital of the limited liability company Sakhalin Energy.

23.01.2023

ON THE EXTENSION OF THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD FOR A UNIFIED TECHNOLOGY FOR THE EXCHANGE OF MACHINE-READABLE POWERS OF ATTORNEY

Until September 1, 2023, the experiment on testing the unified technology for the exchange of machine-readable powers of attorney carried out by legal entities and individual entrepreneurs through its digital platform based on the distributed blockchain registry has been extended. This will allow even more participants in electronic document management to prepare for working with machine-readable powers of attorney in conjunction with a certified digital signature certificate of their representatives who are individuals.

The exchange of machine-readable powers of attorney, issued by way of substitution, became available to participants in the unified technology of the Federal Tax Service from December 9, 2022. Blockchain technology algorithms check the chains of substitution and notify the participants of the termination of the machine-readable powers of attorney (their chains) if any of them has been cancelled.

20.01.2023

LIBERALISATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR MIGRANTS FROM THE EAEU

Amendments to the Treaty on the EAEU are ratified.

The mode of residence and work for labour migrants from the EAEU has been simplified. It provides, inter alia, for recognition of certifying documents for teachers and lawyers, as well as academic degrees and titles. A working migrant will be able to change the purpose of entry without leaving the territory of the state of employment.

The rules on customs control and the fight against tax evasion are also clarified.

19.01.2023

STARTING FROM 2023, A NEW PROCEDURE FOR RECORDING INCOME, EXPENSES AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME IN ACCOUNTING ACCOUNTS BY CREDIT INSTITUTIONS WILL BE IN FORCE

The Bank of Russia has updated the procedure for recording income, expenses and other comprehensive income in accounting accounts by credit institutions. This is due, among other things, to the fact that the Statement of Financial Results is included in the Appendix to the Chart of Accounts for Credit Institutions.

The Regulations entered into force on January 1, 2023.

18.01.2023

FROM 2023, THE BASIC INFORMATION ON COMPANY’S ACTIVITIES TO BE FORMED IN A NEW WAY

Rosstat has updated the procedure for filling in the statistical report No. 1-enterprise “Basic information on company’s activities”.

The Order entered into force on January 1, 2023.

17.01.2023

MARKING ONLINE ADVERTISING: THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ADVERTISING IDENTIFIER, THE PROCEDURE AND TERMS FOR ITS ASSIGNMENT AND PLACEMENT HAVE COME INTO FORCE

On September 1, a new article appeared in the Law on Advertising, which establishes the procedure for placing advertising on the Internet in order to ensure its traceability. The provisions of this article, among other things, stipulate that the distribution of advertising on the Internet hall be allowed only if the operator of the advertising data assigns an advertising identifier to the corresponding advertisement - a unique digital designation designed to ensure the traceability of advertising distributed on the Internet and to record information about such advertising.

On the eve of the New Year holidays, the Ministry of Justice registered the Order of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications, which approved the requirements for an advertising identifier, its content, the procedure and terms for its assignment, placement when advertising is distributed on the Internet, storage and submission to the department. The Order entered into force on January 9, 2023.

16.01.2023

AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENCES CAME INTO FORCE, PROVIDING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF AUTOMATICALLY FIXING THE FACT OF ILLEGAL UNLOADING OF GARBAGE FROM VEHICLES

These amendments are the part of global changes to be made into the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation, adopted last summer. These amendments to the Code introduced special provisions that provide for strengthened administrative responsibility for unloading or dumping waste from motor vehicles and trailers outside specially designated areas.

Moreover, this law secured the possibility of fixing such offences with the use of technical means operating in automatic mode. The corresponding provisions were adopted with the extended deadline and began to apply from January 11, 2022.

13.01.2023

NEW POWERS IN THE FIELD OF CIRCULATION OF MEDICINES AND MEDICAL DEVICES ARE GRANTED TO THE GOVERNMENT

In 2023, the Government of the Russian Federation will be entitled to establish the specifics of circulation of medicines for medical use and medical devices.

This measure is envisaged as part of the anti-sanction regulation of the Russian economy.

12.01.2023

IT IS PLANNED TO ADJUST THE LEGISLATION ON FOREIGN INVESTING INTO STRATEGIC ECONOMIC ENTITIES

On December 21, 2022, the State Duma adopted in the second and third readings amendments to the Laws on Foreign Investments in Strategic Economic Companies in the Field of Defence and Security, on Fisheries, Transport Security, Licensing and also amendments to the Air Code.

Licensing of strategic activities to be settled for organisations that started their activities after the establishment of foreign investors control.

Moreover, for companies that are controllable by foreign investors, mandatory preliminary approval of transactions will be introduced with respect to granting rights to harvest certain types of biological resources within the boundaries of the fishery basin in the form of allowable catch volumes (as by quotas types).

11.01.2023

AUCTION RULES ARE UPDATED FOR ACQUIRING THE RIGHT TO CONCLUDE A WATER USE AGREEMENT

The Government has established new rules for drawing up and concluding a water use agreement, the right to conclude which is acquired through an auction, as well as the rules for holding such auctions.

Applications for granting the water area of a water body for use may be submitted through the federal public services web-portal or through a regional web-portal for providing state and municipal services, as well as using departmental information systems.

10.01.2023

REGISTRATION OF DECLARATIONS OF PRODUCT CONFORMITY WITH THE TECHNICAL REGULATIONS OF THE EAEU BECOMES FASTER

Declarations and the necessary documents can be submitted to an authorised certification body, including on paper, directly or by courier service.

The term for registering a declaration has been reduced from 5 to 3 business days.