Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 29.04.2005

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 357 of March 28, 2005 on the Call up to the Military Service of the Citizens of the Russian Federation in April-June 2005 and on the Dismissal of Draft Servicemen from the Military Service

Calls up to the military service from April 1 to June 30, 2005 the citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 27 not being in the reserve and eligible for the draft service in the amount of 157,700.

The Decree is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 40n of March 17, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Form of the Estimate of Advance Payments for the Uniform Social Tax and Its Filling Recommendations

Endorses the form of the estimate of advance payments for the uniform social tax for the entities making payments to natural persons (KND Form 1151050) and its filling recommendations. The Order applies beginning with the estimates of advance payments for the first reporting period of 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on March 28, 2005. Reg. No. 6452.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 42n of March 17, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Form of the Application of the Expected Income Subject to the Uniform Social Tax for the Taxpayers Other Than Those Making Payments to Natural Persons and Its Filling Recommendations

Endorses the form of the application of the expected income subject to the uniform social tax for taxpayers other than those making payments to natural persons and its filling recommendations. The application (KND Form 1151073) is submitted to the territorial body of the Federal Tax Service of Russia at the place of registration by independent entrepreneurs, members (heads) of peasant (farmers') enterprises, lawyers (except for those whose uniform social tax is calculated and paid by the boards of lawyers, lawyer bureaus and legal advice offices) within five days one month after the day of the beginning of entrepreneurial or other professional activities.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on March 28, 2005. Reg. No. 6451.

Federal Law No. 29-FZ of April 1, 2005 on the Amendments to the Criminal Execution Code of the Russian Federation

Specifies that the convicts not permitting violations of the established procedure of detention in the wards are entitled for longer outdoor walks at the decision of the chief of the penitentiary institution, up to two hours a day for one month.

An early release of the convict from the isolation ward is permitted at the decision of the chief of the colony or the person replacing him for educational purposes or for medical reasons.

Federal Law No. 28-FZ of April 1, 2005 on the Amendments to the Criminal Execution Code of the Russian Federation

Specifies that the convicts being repeated violators of established procedure of detention may be transferred from colonies to jail for up to three years, with the rest of the term being served in the colony type they were sent from. Transfer to jail does not apply to those convicted for life-time imprisonment, those with the death penalty replaced with the life-time imprisonment and women.

Decision to place in the isolation ward must contain the length of detention.

Federal Law No. 27-FZ of April 1, 2005 on the Amendments to Some of the Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation and on Invalidation of Individual Provisions of Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation

Amends the Federal Laws No. 53-FZ of March 28, 1998 on the military duty and military service, No. 114-FZ of July 21, 1997 on the service in the customs bodies of the Russian Federation, No. 69-FZ of December 21, 1994 on the fire safety, Law of the Russian Federation No. 1026-I of April 18, 1991 on militia, Regulation on the service in the bodies of internal affairs of the Russian Federation endorsed by the Decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation No. 4202-I of December 23, 1992.

The amendments remove the controversies of the mentioned laws pertaining to registration for military purposes and provide for a uniform approach in organisation of the record keeping and execution of the military duty. Specifies that the persons covered by the above laws may terminate their service because of the call up to the military service or replacing it alternative civil service.

The Federal Law is entered into force from April 1, 2005.

Federal Law No. 26-FZ of March 31, 2005 on the Amendment to Article 5 of the Federal Law on the Jury of the Federal Courts of General Jurisdiction in the Russian Federation

Since the legislation of the Russian Federation does not specify the citizenship status of the municipal formation, refines the norm of Item 4 of Article 5 of the mentioned Law.

Federal Law No. 25-FZ of March 31, 2005 on the Amendments to the Code of Arbitration Procedures of the Russian Federation and Invalidation of the Federal Law on the Amendment to Article 59 of the Code of Arbitration Procedures of the Russian Federation

According to the amendments to Article 59 of the Code of Arbitration Procedures of the Russian Federation, lawyers and other persons rendering legal aid may act as representatives of organisations in a court of arbitration. This is in compliance with the position of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation expressed in the Decision No. 15-P of July 16, 2004. The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation earlier recognised as unconstitutional the provision stating that the persons rendering legal aid and selected by organisations may not act as representatives in a court of arbitration, if they are not being lawyers or the persons on the payroll in these organisations.

The amendments also pertain to the procedure of revising of judicial acts as an enforcement measure. At the request of the applicant, the time limit specified for submission of application or representation to revise the judicial act, if missed for reasons not depending on him, may be restored by the judge of the Higher Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation on condition that the request is submitted no later than within 6 months from the day of entry into legal force of the most recent challenged judicial act or the day when this person learnt or was to learn of the violation of his rights or legal interests by the challenged act. Restoration of the expired time limit is indicated in the ruling of acceptance of the application or representation to process it, refusal to restore it - in the ruling of return of the application or representation. Restoration of the time limits is permitted in the cases of challenging of judicial acts adopted before the entry into force of the given Federal Law, if the spec ified maximum permissible time limits have not expired as of the day of its entry into force.

The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 174 of March 31, 2005 on the Amendments to the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 249 of April 28, 2003

Changes the procedure of collection of regular payments for the use of subsoil resources from the users of subsoil resources engaged in prospecting and surveys of the deposits on the continental shelf of the Russian Federation and in the exclusive economic zone, as well as outside the Russian Federation on the territories under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation.

Specifies that the specific amount of the rate of the regular payment is determined by the Federal Agency for the Use of Subsoil Resources within the range of specified minimum and maximum rates.

Users of subsoil resources shall submit on the quarterly basis, no later than the last of the month following the expired quarter to the Federal Tax Service of Russia and the Federal Agency for the Use of Subsoil Resources estimates of regular payments for the use of subsoil resources according to the forms endorsed by the Ministry of Finance Russia in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 171 of March 31, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on Cash Payments and (or) Payments Using Pay Cards without Cash Registers

Specifies the procedure for making cash payments and (or) payments using pay cards without the use of cash registers by organisations and independent entrepreneurs in cases of rendering services to the population on condition of issue of appropriate strict-reporting forms by them equal to cash slips, as well as the procedure of endorsement, registration, storage and destruction of blank forms.

Strict-reporting forms equal to cash slips shall include slips, tickets, travel documents, tokens, accommodations, user subscriptions and other documents intended for making cash payments and (or) payments using pay cards in cases of rendering services to the population.

The blank forms shall be endorsed by the Ministry of Finance of Russia. The documents drawn up on such forms shall be qualified as initial registration documents (except for the blank forms intended for making cash payments for the travel on the ground passenger public-use transport).

The earlier endorsed strict-reporting forms may be used before the endorsement of the new forms, however, no later than January 1, 2007.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 170 of March 31, 2005 on the Non-Application of the Rate of the Export Customs Duty for Nickel Alloys

The rate of the export customs duty earlier endorsed in the amount of 5% of the customs cost shall not apply for nickel alloys (code according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 7502 20 000 0). The Decision is entered into force one months after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 166 of March 29, 2005 on the Amendments to the Customs Tariff of the Russian Federation Pertaining to Motor Components Imported for Industrial Assembly

Refines individual rates of the import customs duties for motor components imported for industrial assembly. The notion of "industrial assembly" and the terms of its application shall be defined according to the procedure to be worked out by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia together with the Ministry of the Industry and Power Supplies of Russia and the Ministry of Finance of Russia. Motor components imported for industrial assembly shall be subject to the beneficial import rate, or shall be imported duty free. The rates are introduced for 9 months.

The Decision is entered into force from the day of its official publication, except for individual norms to be entered into force from April 15, 2005.

Order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 335-r of April 1, 2005

Issues orders to federal bodies of executive power to arrange leisure, rehabilitation and employment of children in 2005. In particular, the Social Insurance Fund of Russia is ordered to provide for a full or partial coverage of the cost of accommodations, sets of foodstuffs, cost of travel of accompanying persons for the children of the insured persons in the amounts specified in the Law on the budget of the Social Insurance Fund of Russia.

Federal Law No. 30-FZ of April 4, 2005 on the Execution of the Federal Budget for the Year 2003

Endorses the report of execution of the federal budget for the year 2003 with incomes amounting to Rbl 2,586,191,200.4 thousand and expenses amounting to Rbl 2,358,546,300.4 thousand, the surplus of incomes over expenses being Rbl 227,644,900.0 thousand.

The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 176 of April 1, 200 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Compensation of the Travelling Expanses to the Place of Recreation on the Territory of the Russian Federation and Back to Pensioners Receiving Labour Old-Age and Disability Pensions and Living in the Regions of the Far North and Similar Localities

Defines the procedure, amounts and terms of compensation of the travelling expenses to the place of recreation on the territory of the Russian Federation and back to non-working pensioners receiving labour old-age and disability pensions and living in the regions of the Far North and similar localities. The compensation may be granted in the form of provided travel documents or reimbursement of actually suffered travelling expenses by the pensioner. The paying out of the compensation shall be arranged once in two years.

Application for the compensation drawn up to the specified form shall be submitted by the pensioner to the territorial body of the Pension Fund of Russia at the place of residence while presenting the accommodation or another document serving as confirmation of the pensioner stay in the sanatorium, preventive clinic, rest home, tourist base or another place providing recreational services. The compensation shall be paid out using the same procedure as is used to pay out the pension.

The Decision applies to legal relations emerging from January 1, 2005.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 175 of April 1, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Radio Control in the Russian Federation

Specifies the procedure of implementation of control over emissions of radio electronic devices and/or high-frequency devices of civil destination. The radio control is a multitude of organisational and technical measures implemented through measurements and instrumental assessment of parameters of emissions of radio electronic devices and/or high-frequency devices. The radio control shall be implemented without participation and notification of the holders of radio electronic devices and/or high-frequency devices.

The Ministry of Information Technologies and Communication of Russia shall specify the requirements to the radio control, general technical requirements to technical components of the radio control, as well as the forms of the documents drawn up during it and the forms of protocols of the results of measurements of technical parameters of emissions of radio electronic devices and high-frequency devices.

Decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 5 of March 24, 2005 on Some Issues Emerging with the Courts When Applying the Code of Administrative Violations of the Russian Federation

Legislation on administrative violations that should be used as guidance when processing the mentioned category of cases shall include not only the Code of Administrative Violations of the Russian Federation, but also the laws of the subjects of the Russian Federation adopted in pursuance of the Code of Administrative Violations of the Russian Federation in issues qualified as the sphere of reference of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The law of the subject of the Russian Federation may not envisage administrative responsibility for the violations of the rules and norms envisaged in the laws and other normative acts of the Russian Federation.

For the cases of violations where the driver's license suspension is envisaged, the Code of Administrative Violations of the Russian Federation specifies an alternative territorial jurisdiction. The body (official) having drawn up the protocol of such violation, may send the materials for processing to the judge at the place of registration of the transport vehicle.

The Code of Administrative Violations of the Russian Federation does not prohibit the keeping of the minutes when the case is processed by the judge, therefore, opportunities of keeping of such minutes are not excluded in necessary cases.

If a low significance of the committed administrative violation was established when the case was processed, the judge may exempt the offender from administrative responsibility, confining himself to an oral reprimand, which must be indicated in the decision on the termination of the proceedings. A low-significance administrative violation implies an act or failure to act, although containing the formal signs of an administrative violation, however, failing to be recognised as a significant infringement on the protected public relations taking into account the nature of the committed violation and the role of the offender, the level of damage and occurring consequences.

Order of the Federal Tax Service No. SAE-3-09/40@ of February 14, 2005 on the Preparation for Publication and Issue of Information Contained in the Joint State Register of Legal Entities

Endorses Form N Р80002 "Information Entered in the Joint State Register of Legal Entities" used to place the information contained in the Joint State Register of Legal Entities in the Internet on the site of the Federal Tax Service of Russia.

Provides the composition of the information contained in the Joint State Register of Legal Entities provided for publication in the Herald of the State Registration journal.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on March 30, 2005. Reg. No. 6460.

Federal Law No. 32-FZ of April 4, 2005 on the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation

The Public Chamber shall provide for interaction of the citizens of the Russian Federation with the federal and regional bodies of state power and the bodies of local government to involve large circles of the Russian public in the implementation of the state policy of the Russian Federation, take care of public initiatives and interests of the citizens of the Russian Federation, ensure protection of the rights of public associations, as well as create a mechanism of public control over activities of the bodies of public power.

The Public Chamber shall include the citizens of the Russian Federation known for distinguished services to the state and society, representatives of public associations, as well as associations of non-commercial organisations.

The first plenary session of the Public Chamber shall elect the Council of the Public Chamber and the Secretary of the Public Chamber, their authority and procedure of activities being defined in the regulation. The main form of work of its members in the Public Chamber shall be participation in the plenary sessions of the Public Chamber, commissions and working groups formed by the Public Chamber.

The Public Chamber shall handle the tasks of coordination of the interests of citizens, public associations and the state bodies to solve the most important, for the population of Russia, issues of economic and social development, ensuring security of the person, society and the state, protection of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation and the democratic principles of organisation of the civil society.

The mentioned tasks shall be solved by the Public Chamber by arranging public expert evaluation of the draft federal constitutional laws and federal laws, draft normative legal acts of the federal bodies of executive power of the Russian Federation and the bodies of local government, public control over activities of the bodies of executive power and putting forward of civil initiatives of common Russian significance and aimed at implementation of the constitutional rights, freedoms and legal interests of citizens and their associations.

Decisions of the Public Chamber shall be of advisory nature and shall be adopted in the form of statements, proposals and appeals.

An office of the Public Chamber is being created to provide for the activities of the Public Chamber, which will be a state institution. The head of the office of the Public Chamber shall be assigned to his position and dismissed from it by the Government of the Russian Federation at the presentation of the Council of the Public Chamber.

The Federal Law is entered into force from July 1, 2005.

Federal Law No. 31-FZ of April 4, 2005 on the Amendment to Article 10 of the Federal Law on the Defence

The amendments specify the legal fundamentals for application in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to combat terrorist activities. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are intended to repel aggression against the Russian Federation, to provide armed protection of the integrity and inviolability of the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as to fulfil the tasks in compliance with international treaties and the federal constitutional and federal laws.

Order of the Federal Customs Service No. 183 of March 10, 2005 on the Authority of the Customs Bodies to Commit Customs Operations with Fissionable and Radio Active Materials

Lists specialised customs bodies whose authority is limited exclusively to customs operations with fissionable and radio active materials moved across the customs border of the Russian Federation and classified under Headings 2612, 2844 and code 8401 30 000 0 of the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation, other commodities containing the mentioned components, as well as equipment for their production, storage, transportation, taking measurements and appropriate documentation.

Any other customs bodies do not have the authority to commit customs operations with such commodities. An exception is made for the cases of arrival of commodities to the customs territory of the Russian Federation and their dispatching, procedure of internal customs transit shipment, customs regimes of international customs transit shipment and re-export, as well as the customs registration of the air, sea and river vessels possessing instruments outfitted with radio isotope sources.

The Order is entered into force 90 days after the day of its official publication.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on March 30, 2005. Reg. No. 6457.

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 50-T of March 30, 2005 on the Special Registration of Credit Organisations in the Bodies of the Federal Assay Enforcement

Before the adoption by the Ministry of Finance of Russia of the special act excluding credit organisations from the list of organisations subject to the special registration, operations with precious metals carried out by credit organisations without the special registration in the bodies of the federal assay enforcement shall be considered legal.

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 48-T of March 29, 2005 on the Application of Article 11 of the Federal Law on the Banks and Banking Activities

In cases of revealed facts of purchase by a group of legal entities and/or natural persons interconnected by an agreement, or a group of legal entities being branches or dependent on each other, of stocks (shares) of credit organisations, if the mentioned purchase operations were not coordinated with the Bank of Russia, territorial institutions of the Bank of Russia are recommended to send information of the revealed facts of this kind to the appropriate credit organisation.

In this case, the purchase by a group of persons is implied to be the acquiring of the mentioned stocks (shares) in property (or trust control) by the founders (participants) of the credit organisation - members of the group of persons directly, as well as obtaining the right of disposal of such stocks (shares) by being able to exert a significant influence directly or indirectly (through third parties) on the founders (participants) of the credit organisation. Territorial institutions of the Bank of Russia shall arrange a coordination of participation in the bank's registered capital on the basis of a preliminary consent of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, as well as the documents on the system of relations among the participants of the group of persons interconnected by an agreement.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 179 of April 4, 2005 on the Amendments to the Decisions of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 587 of August 14, 1992 and No. 814 of July 21, 1998

Long-barrel service arms used by non-state (private) guard services, as well as the short-barrel arms looking like combat submachine guns must be painted in special colours from March 1, 2006. The colour of the paint and the places of its location on the arms are defined by the producer enterprise in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

The fire arms earlier purchased by non-state (private) guard enterprises not included in the list of the types of arms of guardsmen may be used by them until March 1, 2006.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 178 of April 4, 2005 on the Non-Application of the Rates of the Import Customs Duties for Soy Beans, Fish Meal and Individual Types of Maize

The rates of import customs duties specified in the Customs Tariff of the Russian Federation shall not apply for sowing soy beans and other (codes according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 1201 00 100 0, 1201 00 900 0), meals and flours and granules of fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other water invertebrates (code according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 2301 20 000 0) and other maize (code according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 1005 90 000 0).

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 177 of April 4, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rate of the Import Customs Duty for Some Types of Furniture and Mounting Fittings

The rate of the import customs duty for furniture and mounting fittings and similar other items of non-precious metals (code according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 8302 42 900 0) is reduced from 15% to 5% of the customs cost. The new rate shall apply for 9 months.

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Order of the Federal Service for Tariff Rates No. 22-e/5 of February 15, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Methodology Directions on the Determination of the Amount of Payment for Connection to Power-Supply Networks for Production Purposes

Provides the main provisions on the calculation of the amount of payment for the connection for production purposes of power consuming devices (power plants) of legal entities and natural persons to electric networks of organisations possessing objects of electric networks on the proprietary basis or on other legal grounds. The endorsed Methodology Directions are intended for use by the Federal Service for Tariff Rates of Russia and network organisations.

The payment for the connection for production purposes is collected from consumers of electric power and owners of generator plants newly connected to electric networks or expanding available connections, as well as electric network organisations possessing objects of electric networks on the proprietary basis or on other legal grounds. The payment for the connection for production purposes is collected once.

Natural persons applying for connection to consume electric power for communal and household needs, with connected power rating not greater than 15 kW inclusive, shall pay for the works to develop technical specification in the amount not greater than 0.5 minimum amount of labour remuneration, for other works - in the amount not greater than 5 minimum amounts of labour remuneration. All other applicants (including the natural persons with connected power rating greater than 15 kW) shall pay for the connection in the amount calculated according to the provided formulas.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 1, 2005. Reg. No. 6462.

Letter of the Department of the Tax and Customs Tariff Policy of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 03-05-01-04/59 of March 18, 2005 on the Incomes Tax from Natural Persons for the Excess Daily Allowance

Explains that pursuant to the Decision of the Higher Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation No. 16141/04 of January 26, 2005 stating that the daily allowance paid out within the norms specified in internal documents of the organisation is exempted from the incomes tax from natural persons, there is not need to recalculate the amounts of the incomes tax from natural persons for the period from 2002 to 2004 collected from the daily allowance in excess of Rbl 100 a day.

Federal Constitutional Law No. 3-FKZ of April 5, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Constitutional Law on the Judicial System in the Russian Federation

The limiting age for stay in a position of a judge of the federal court is increased from 65 to 70 years. The given provision applies to all judges of the federal courts under 65 as of the day of entry into force of the Federal Constitutional Law, except for the judges of the federal courts assigned to their positions for the first time for three years.

Authority of the judge is terminated upon expiry or when he reaches the limiting age. Earlier, the authority was terminated or suspended only at the decision of the appropriate qualification board of judges.

The Federal Constitutional Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Federal Constitutional Law No. 2-FKZ of April 5, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation

According to the amendments, authority of a judge of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation is not restricted to a pre-defined period (earlier, 15 years). The Law preserves the limiting age for the position of the judge of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation - 70 years. The judge having reached the limiting age continues to execute his duties until adoption of the final decision on the case he started or until a new judge is assigned to his position.

The Federal Constitutional Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 33-FZ of April 5, 2005 on the Amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation on the Status of Judges in the Russian Federation, Federal Law on the Justices of the Peace in the Russian Federation, Federal Law on the Amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation on the Status of Judges in the Russian Federation and the Federal Law on the Bodies of the Judicial Community in the Russian Federation

The limiting age for the position of a judge is increased from 65 to 70 years. For the judges of the constitutional (charter) courts of the subjects of the Russian Federation, the laws of the appropriate subjects may specify another limiting age for the position of the judge of these courts.

The Law preserves the restriction of the authority of the justices of the peace assigned (elected) to their position for the first time for the period specified in the law of the appropriate subject of the Russian Federation, however, not more than for five years. The amendments envisage that in cases of repeated and subsequent assignments (elections), justices of the peace are assigned (elected) for the period specified in the law of the appropriate subject of the Russian Federation, however, at least for five years until they reach the limiting age - 70 years.

The judge with terminated authority because of expiry, or because he reached the limiting age, shall continue to implement his authority until he finishes the case started with his participation, or until the first assignment of the judge to the given court.

Provisions on the limiting age for the position of the judge shall apply to all judges of the federal courts under 65 as of the day of entry into force of the Federal Law, except for the judges assigned to their position for the first time for three years.

No later than six months in advance of the expiry of the authority of the judge, or no later than within 10 days after the opening of the vacancy in cases of an early termination of the authority, appropriate qualification board of judges shall announce the opening of the vacancy in mass media while indicating the time and place of accepting of applications of the candidates for the position of the judge, as well as the time and place of examination of the received applications.

The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 189 of April 6, 2005 on the Amendment to the Procedure of Determination of the Taxable Base for the Calculation of the Value Added Tax for Advance Payments or Other Payments Received by Exporter Organisations for Anticipated Supplies of Commodities Subject to the 0 Tax Rate with the Length of Production Cycle Being Greater Than 6 Months Endorsed by the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 602 of August 21, 2001

The federal body of executive power authorised to hand out the document confirming the length of the production cycle for the commodities sold for export for the purpose of determination of the taxable base for the value added tax shall be the Ministry of the Industry and Power Supplies of Russia. The Decision changed the list of the documents to be submitted by the exporter organisation to confirm the receiving of the advance or other payments to the tax body simultaneously with the tax declaration for the appropriate tax period.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 186 of April 6, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Creation, Keeping and Use of the Centralised Databank to Register Foreign Citizens Arriving Temporarily or Staying on the Temporary or Permanent Basis in the Russian Federation

Defines the procedure of creation, keeping and use of the centralised databank to register foreign citizens and stateless persons arriving temporarily or staying on the temporary or permanent basis in the Russian Federation. The centralised databank is a specialised interagency automatic information subsystem containing information on foreign citizens and stateless persons entering the Russian Federation, staying on the temporary or permanent basis in the Russian Federation and leaving the Russian Federation, intended for joint keeping and use by the interested federal bodies of executive power and forming part of the federal interagency information system of migration control in the Russian Federation.

The centralised databank shall be a federal information resource and shall be supervised by the Federal Migration Service.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 181 of April 6, 2005 on the Non-Application of the Rates of Import Customs Duties for Iron Ores and Concentrates

The rates of the import customs duties specified in the Customs Tariff of the Russian Federation in the amount of 5% of the customs cost shall not apply to iron ores and concentrates, whether or not agglomerated (codes according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 2601 11 000 0 and 2601 12 000 0).

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication for 9 months.

Order of the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communication of the Russian Federation No. 32 of March 22, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Requirements to the Content of the Description of Communication Networks and Means of Communication to Be Used to Render Communication Services

Description of communication networks and means of communication is necessary if the applicant, while rendering the services, intends to use a radio frequency range, including the cases of TV and radio broadcasting, provide cable TV transmission or wired radio transmission, transfer voice information, including the cases of data transfer networks, provide communication channels outside the territory of a single subject of the Russian Federation or outside the Russian Federation, carry out activities of the postal communication.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 7, 2005. Reg. No. 6471.

Order of the Federal Antimonopoly Service No. 36 of March 10, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of Determination of the Dominating Position of Participants of the Market of Insurance Services

Specifies the procedure of determination of the dominating position of insurance and reinsurance organisations, as well as mutual insurance companies, at the market of insurance services. The dominating position of insurers shall be determined by the antimonopoly body in coordination with the Ministry of Finance of Russia. The presence of the dominating position of an insurer is not a violation of the antimonopoly legislation, but serves as grounds for a systematic monitoring of his activities on the part of the antimonopoly body to prevent abuse of this status.

Insurer status with the share for the reporting period exceeding 10% at the federal insurance market or 25% at the regional one is qualified as dominating.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 7, 2005. Reg. No. 6467.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 48n of March 24, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Form of the Estimate of Advance Payments for Insurance Contributions for Obligatory Pension Insurance and Its Filling Recommendations

Endorses the form of the estimate of advance payments for insurance contributions for obligatory pension insurance for the entities making payments to natural persons (KND Form 1151058) and its filling recommendations.

The Order shall apply beginning with submission of the estimates of advance payments for the first reporting period of 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 5, 2005. Reg. No. 6464.

Direction of the Central Bank of Russia No. 1551-U of February 18, 2005 on the Amendments to the Direction of the Bank of Russia No. 1376-U of January 16, 2004 on the List, Forms and Procedure of Drawing up and Submission of the Forms of Reports of Credit Organisations to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

Amends Reporting Form 0409135 "Information on Obligatory Normatives" pursuant to the exclusion of obligatory normative N5.

The Direction is entered into force 10 days after the day of its official publication in the Herald of the Bank of Russia.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 5, 2005. Reg. No. 6463.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 202 of April 7, 2005 on the Amendments to the Customs Tariff of the Russian Federation and the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 602 of August 21, 2001 Pertaining to Some Types of Technological Equipment for Making Paper-and-Pulp Products

Refines the codes of individual types of technological equipment for making paper-and-pulp items.

Equipment for packing rolls at least 600 mm, however, not more than 1,500 mm in diameter and 300 mm, however, not more than 3,200 mm in width, equipment for packing empty paper bags on trays with plastic tape not more than 16 mm in width in the amount not more than 3,500 pieces on a single tray shall be imported using the 0% rate. Other equipment shall be imported using the rate of 5% of the customs cost. The mentioned rates shall be valid for 9 months.

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 200 of April 7, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rates of Export Customs Duties for Precious or Semi-Precious Stones, Man-Made or Reconstructed

Precious or semi-precious stones, man-made or reconstructed (codes according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 7104 20 000 0, 7104 90 000 0), shall be imported using the 0% rate (earlier, duty free).

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 199 of April 7, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rate of the Export Customs Duty for Unprocessed Zinc

The rate of the export customs duty for unprocessed zinc (code according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 7901) is fixed in the amount equal to zero (earlier, 5% of the customs cost).

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 198 of April 7, 2005 on the Interim Rate of the Import Customs Duty for Zinc Ores and Concentrates

The rate of the import customs duty for zinc ores and concentrates (code according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 2608 00 000 0) is fixed in the amount equal to zero (earlier, 5% of the customs cost) for 9 months.

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 196 of April 7, 2005 on the Non-Application of the Rates of the Import Customs Duties for Individual Types of Technological Equipment

The earlier introduced rates of import customs duties (in the amount of 5% to 10% of the customs cost) shall not apply for individual types of technological equipment to be imported using the rate of 0%.

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication for 9 months.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 190 of April 6, 2005 on the Terms and Criteria of Determination of the Amount of Subsidies Granted from the Federal Budget to the Budgets of the Subjects of the Russian Federation to Provide State Support in the Sphere of Agro-Industrial Complex and the Rules of Their Granting

Resources to finance the measures in the sphere of agricultural production, plant growing and animal breeding, subsidise interest rates for attracted credits in Russian credit organisations and reimburse part of expenses to insure agricultural crops shall be allocated to the budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation in the form of subsidies. The Decision lists the terms permitting to get the subsidies.

The main criteria of determination of the amount of subsidies shall be the gross volume of agricultural produce, the volume of attracted credit resources, number of breeding animals, size of the cultivated land used for agricultural crops, areas used for perennial plants, volumes of purchase of seeds, mineral fertilisers and chemical means of protection of plants.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 183 of April 6, 2005 on the Amendment to the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 626 of October 14, 2003

The list of commodities (equipment, including the component and spare parts for it) imported to the customs territory of the Russian Federation under the contracts open for financing until August 1, 1998 inclusive at the expense of tied credits of the governments of foreign states, banks and companies against the guarantees of the Government of the Russian Federation shall be amended where it pertains to other items of plastic and other materials of Headings 3901-3914.

Decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 7 of April 5, 2005 on the Amendments to the Decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 35 of December 14, 2000 on Some Issues Emerging in the Cases Pertaining to Implementation of the Rights by Invalids Guaranteed by the Law of the Russian Federation on the Social Protection of Citizens Having Been Exposed to Radiation Because of the Disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station

The amendments are stipulated by adoption of a number of normative acts, the need to explain a number of issues pertaining, in particular, to the determination of the amount of reimbursement of the damage to the health of invalids because of the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station and the indexing of the amounts of reimbursement of damage.

Explains that from February 15, 2001 to January 1, 2005, reimbursement of damage to health pursuant to radiation exposure because of the Chernobyl disaster or the carrying out of works to eliminate the consequences of this disaster was guaranteed by the payment of the monthly monetary compensation in fixed amount, the amount depending only on the disability group. However, if the amount of compensation did not reach the amount of compensation received by the invalid earlier, he was entitled for a monthly monetary compensation in the previous amount, however, not greater than the maximum amount of the monthly insurance payment specified in the Federal Law on the budget of the Social Insurance Fund for the subsequent fiscal year.

Amounts of reimbursement of damage may not be indexed on the basis of the growth of the minimum amount of labour remuneration from February 1997 to July 1, 2000, since this figure did not change in the mentioned period.

The courts may carry out the indexing for the period from July 1, 2000 to January 1, 2001 using an increasing factor of 1.581 from July 1, 2000 and 1,515 from January 1, 2001 on condition that from February 1997 to July 1, 2000 the indexing of the mentioned amounts was not carried out taking into account the consumer price growth. If such indexing was carried out, its amount must be taken into account in the determination of the monthly amounts of reimbursement of damage for the period from July 1, 2000 to January 1, 2001.

Since the delay in the payment of the amounts of reimbursement of damage to health because of the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station incurs a material damage on the plaintiff in view of inflation, the court may satisfy his demand to index the mentioned amounts taking into account the growth of consumer prices.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 31n of March 3, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Forms of Tax Declarations for the Value Added Tax and Indirect Taxes (Value Added Tax and Excises) for the Cases of Import of Commodities to the Territory of the Russian Federation from the Territory of the Republic of Belarus and Their Filling Procedures

Endorses three forms of tax declarations: VAT, 0% VAT and indirect taxes (VAT and excises) for the import of commodities to the territory of the Russian Federation from the territory of the Republic of Belarus, as well as their filling procedures.

The declarations are submitted by taxpayer organisations and independent entrepreneurs, as well as tax agents, to the tax bodies at the place of their registration no later than the 20th of the month following the expired tax period. The Order specifies the particulars of filling of the declarations in the absence of operations subject to VAT and operations exempted from taxation under product-sharing agreements.

For operations of sale of commodities (works, services) subject to the 0% tax rate in compliance with the agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus on the principles of collection of indirect taxes in export and import of commodities, carrying out works, rendering services of September 15, 2004, the taxpayers, beside the usual declaration, shall also submit the declaration for the 0% tax rate.

The Order shall apply beginning with the tax declaration for March and the I quarter of 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 7, 2005. Reg. No. 6476.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 32n of March 3, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Forms of Tax Declarations for Excise Duty Taxes and Their Filling Procedures

Endorses five forms of tax declarations: for excise duty taxes for excisable commodities, except for oil products, tobacco items and alcoholic products sold from excise-duty warehouses of wholesale organisations, for excise duty taxes for alcoholic products sold from excise-duty warehouses of wholesale organisations, for excise duty taxes for oil products, for excise duty taxes for tobacco items and excise duty tax for excisable mineral raw materials (natural gas), as well as their filling procedures.

The Order shall apply beginning with the tax declaration for March 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on March 30, 2005. Reg. No. 6454.

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 53-T of April 4, 2005 on the Fixing of the Rouble Equivalents for the Figures Envisaged in the Direction of the Bank of Russia No. 1346-U of December 1, 2003

Specifies rouble equivalents for the registered capital of created banks and non-bank organisations, own resources (capital) of operating credit organisations requesting the general license, as well as own resources (capital) of non-bank credit organisations requesting the status of a bank, for the II quarter of 2005.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 206 of April 11, 2005 on the Federal Medical and Biological Agency

The Federal Medical and Biological Agency is a federal body of executive power in charge of control and enforcement in the sphere of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of employees of organisations of individual industries featuring specially hazardous working conditions and of the population of individual territories and the rendering of state services and state property management in the sphere of public health and social development, including the medical and sanitary support of employees of the covered organisations and population of the covered territories, rendering of medical and socio-medical aid, providing services in the sphere of sanatorium and resort treatment, arranging forensic expert evaluations, blood donorship, transplantation of human organs and tissues.

The Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia is supervised by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of Russia.

Until January 1, 2006, activities of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia in control and enforcement in the sphere of sanitary and epidemiological well-being on the covered territories and in organisations shall be implemented by its federal state institutions.

Amounts of tariff rates (salaries) of the uniform tariff of labour remuneration of medical and pharmacy workers of the federal state institutions of public health and sanitary and epidemiological enforcement subordinate to the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia are increased by 25%, for other employees of the mentioned institutions - by 20%.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 205 of April 11, 2005 on the Minimum Norms of Nutrition and Material Support of the Convicts, As Well As the Norms of Nutrition and Material Support of the Suspects in Pre-Trial Isolation Wards of the Federal Service of Execution of Punishments and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation for Peacetime

Endorses the new minimum and additional norms of nutrition and material support form the mentioned persons.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 204 of April 11, 2005 on the Procedure for Making Payments and Transfers When the Residents Buy from Non-Residents Shares, Contributions, Parts of Property (Registered or Shared Capital, Shared Fund of the Cooperative) of Legal Entities, When the Residents Transfer Contributions under the Contracts of Simple Partnership with Non-Residents

When residents make payments and transfers to buy from non-residents shares, contributions, parts of property (registered or shared capital, shared fund of the cooperative) of legal entities, when the residents transfer contributions under the contracts of simple partnership with non-residents, they must reserve the amount of 25% of the equivalent of the carried out currency operation for 15 calendar days. The given reservation requirement does not apply to operations regulated by the Bank of Russia.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 203 of April 11, 2005 on the Interim Rates of the Import Customs Duties for Individual Types of Equipment

Reduces two times the rates of the import customs duties for individual types of equipment. The new rates are introduced for 9 months.

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 191 of April 6, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Granting Subsidies from the Federal Budget in 2005 to Reimburse Part of Expenses to Pay the Interest under the Credits Received by Citizens Managing Personal Auxiliary Farms in Russian Credit Organisations for 1 to 3 Years

The Federal Agency for Agriculture of Russia shall transfer to the budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation subsidies to reimburse part of expenses to pay the interest under the credits received by borrowers in the banks in 2005 to buy oils and lubricants, mineral fertilisers, means of protection of plants, fodders, veterinary preparations and other material resources for the seasonal works, as well as to pay insurance contributions to insure agricultural crops, as well as under the investment credits received by borrowers in the banks in 2005 for up to 3 years.

The subsidies shall be provided to borrowers from the budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation on the monthly basis in the amount of 2/3 of expenses to pay the interest, however, not more than 2/3 of the actual rate of refinancing (bank rate) of the Bank of Russia on condition of the timely payment by the borrowers of the interest under the concluded contracts.

To get the subsidy, the borrowers shall submit to the authorised body of the subject of the Russian Federation application together with attached copies of the credit contract certified by the bank, excerpt from the loan account showing the getting of the credit, schedule of redemption of the credit and payment of interest, excerpt from the logbook of registration of the borrower as a subsidiary personal farm.

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 59-T of April 8, 2005 on the Submission of Information on the Banks Setting Higher Interest Rates for the Deposits of Natural Persons

The Bank of Russia shall collect information for the period from March 2005 to January 2006 on the banks, including those failing to participate in the deposit insurance system, attracting monetary resources of natural persons at the interest rates higher than the average ones for the appropriate region. The Letter emphasises that the policy of such attraction of deposits may be stipulated by a number of reasons, including those that may not necessarily show the drawbacks or problems in the work of the particular bank.

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 58-T of April 8, 2005 on the Revocation of the Operative Direction of the Bank of Russia No. 44-T of March 26, 2003 on the General Liquidity Normative (N5)

In view of the exclusion of the normative of general liquidity (N5), invalidates Operative Direction of the Bank of Russia No. 44-T of March 26, 2003 on the normative of general liquidity (N5).

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 55-T of April 6, 2005 on the Application of Individual Provisions of the Direction of the Bank of Russia No. 1548-U of February 7, 2005 on the Procedure of Opening (Closing) and Organisation of Work of the Mobile Station of Cash Operations of a Bank (Branch)

Explains individual provisions of Appendix 3 to the Direction of the Bank of Russia No. 1548-U of February 7, 2005 specifying the requirements to the technical strength and outfit of mobile stations of cash services of the bank (branch). Lists the documents specifying technical requirements to the transport vehicles for transportation of monetary receipts and valuable cargo, their armoured protection, doors and manholes being bank protection means, to multi-layer protective glass, as well as the safes and storage facilities for values.

Declaration of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Central Bank of Russia No. 983p-P13/01-01/1617 of April 5, 2005 on the Strategy of Development of the Banking Sector in the Russian Federation for the Period until 2008

The strategy envisages an improvement of the normative legal support for the banking activities, termination of switchover of credit organisations to international standards of financial reports, creation of conditions to prevent the use of credit organisations for illegal purposes (first and foremost such as financing of terrorism and legalisation of incomes obtained in a criminal way), improving the quality of services provided by credit organisations.

The strategy envisages a further concentration and centralisation of capital, simplification of the procedure of opening and registration of a branch of the credit organisation.

From 2007, the requirements to the level of capitalisation of credit organisations will be increased: the requirement of sufficiency of capital, with the failure to observe it being regarded as grounds for obligatory revocation of the license for bank operations, will be set at the level of 10%. From 2007, there will also be a requirement to the minimum capital of operating banks in the amount of EUR 5 million. Operating banks with the capital below EUR 5 million as of January 1, 2007 will continue its activities on condition that their capital does not become lower than the level reached as of the moment of introduction of the mentioned requirements.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 208 of April 11, 2005 on the Interim Rate of the Import Customs Duty for Offset Printing Machines

Endorses for 9 months the import rate for the offset printing machines (code according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 8443 19 390 0) in the amount equal to zero (earlier, 5% of the customs cost).

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Order of the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Enforcement No. 324 of December 22, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Organisation of Issue of Permissions by the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Enforcement to Import Poisonous Substances to the Russian Federation

Lists the documents to be submitted by the applicant to the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Enforcement to get the permission to import poisonous substances. Depending on the results of examination of submitted documents, the applicant gets a permission to import poisonous substances or a motivated refusal.

The Regulation does not apply to transit shipments of poisonous resources through the territory of the Russian Federation.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 11, 2005. Reg. No. 6495.

Order of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation No. 14 of March 3, 2005 on the Amendments to the Order of the Federal Service of the Air Transport of Russia No. 125 of May 15, 2000

The rate of the fee for the air safety is fixed per ton of the maximum take-off weight of the air vessel or per dispatching passenger with a ticket, per kilogram of cargo, mail. If the rate per ton of the maximum take-off weight is applied, the weight in the airworthiness certificate is implied.

When the rate per passenger or kilogram of cargo, mail is applied, the fee is collected on the basis of information of the loadsheet.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 11, 2005. Reg. No. 6494.

Order of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 216 of March 16, 2005 on the Amendment to the Order of the Ministry of Public Health of the Russian Federation No. 328 of August 23, 1999 on the Rational Assignment of Medicines, Rules of Prescribing Them and Procedure of Release by Apothecary Institutions (Organisations)

The list of the maximum permissible quantity of narcotic medicines permitted under one prescription is extended to include buprenorphine. Provides the form of issue and the dosage of the mentioned narcotic medicine.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 8, 2005. Reg. No. 6490.

Direction of the Central Bank of Russia No. 1567-U of March 25, 2005 on the Amendments to the Direction of the Bank of Russia No. 1482-U of July 28, 2004 on the List of Securities Forming the Lombard List of the Bank of Russia

The Lombard List of the Bank of Russia shall include also "other bonds of resident legal entities of the Russian Federation". Decision to include or exclude particular emissions of bonds is taken by the Board of Directors of the Bank of Russia taking into account the following. The issuer of securities must have the rating of long-term solvency for obligations in foreign currencies in at least one of the foreign rating agencies, not lower than BB according to Standard&Poor`s or Fitch Ratings classification or Ва2 according to Moody`s classification, or obligations of issuer of securities must be backed by the state guarantees of the Russian Federation, its subjects.

The Direction is entered into force 10 days after the day of its official publication in the Herald of the Bank of Russia.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 8, 2005. Reg. No. 6482.

Direction of the Central Bank of Russia No. 1568-U of March 28, 2005 on the Procedure of Accounting Work in the Agent Banks and Bankrupt Banks for Operations Envisaged in the Direction of the Bank of Russia No. 1517-U of November 17, 2004 on the Payments of the Bank of Russia on the Deposits of Natural Persons in Bankrupt Banks Failing to Participate in the System of Obligatory Insurance of the Deposits of Natural Persons in the Banks of the Russian Federation and on the Procedure of Interaction of the Agent Banks with the Bank of Russia

Specifies the procedure of accounting work for operations pertaining to payments of the Bank of Russia by the agent banks on the deposits of natural persons in the bankrupt banks failing to participate in the system of obligatory insurance of deposits of natural persons in the banks of the Russian Federation and of accounting work in the bankrupt banks for the amounts of payments of the Bank of Russia.

The Direction is entered into force 10 days after the day of its official publication in the Herald of the Bank of Russia.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 8, 2005. Reg. No. 6481.

Order of the Federal Service of Enforcement in the Sphere of Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Well-Being No. 363 of March 21, 2005 on the State Registration of Products, Substances, Preparations by Territorial Departments of the Federal Service of Enforcement in the Sphere of Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Well-Being

From April 15, 2005, territorial departments of the Federal Service of Enforcement in the Sphere of Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Well-Being shall provide for the state registration of drinking water, child nutrient products, child cosmetics, as well as cosmetics specially developed for professional use and cosmetic means of individual skin protection against adverse industrial factors.

The earlier issued sanitary and epidemiological statements for the products subject to the state registration shall preserve their force until expiry.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 7, 2005. Reg. No. 6479.

Order of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 160 of February 24, 2005 on the Determination of the Level of Damage to Health in Industrial Accidents

Provides a scheme of determination of the level of damage to health in industrial accidents. Industrial accidents are divided into two categories according to the level of damage: heavy and light.

The qualifying signs of the level of damage shall be the nature of injuries and complications associated with them, development and enhancing of available chronic diseases because of the injury, as well as the consequences of the received injuries.

Presence of one of the qualifying signs is enough to establish the category of the industrial accident.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 7, 2005. Reg. No. 6478.

Information Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 31 of March 31, 2005 "Issues of Application of the Federal Law No. 173-FZ of December 10, 2003 on Currency Regulation and Currency Control and the Normative Acts of the Bank of Russia"

Envisages paying out of dividends in foreign currencies without restrictions by residents from their current currency accounts in the authorised banks to non-residents for the stocks of Russian issuers being internal securities.

Authorised banks may collect payment for their fulfilled functions of currency control agents, including the clients having drawn up transaction certificates for the foreign-trade contracts in these banks. In this case, the banks may determine independently the amount and procedure of collection of payment for their fulfilled functions of currency control agents.

Explains that the field "Ranking of Payments" in the payment order of the Bank of Russia to return the reserved amount is not filled out.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 210 of April 12, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rates of Import Customs Duties for Hot-Cathode Luminescent Lamps and Individual Types of Filament Lamps

Endorses the rates of the import customs duties for hot-cathode luminescent and individual types of filament lamps. For example, the import rate for double-base lamps (code according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation 8539 31 100 0) amounts to 15% of the customs cost, however, not less than EUR 0.08 a piece (earlier, 15% of the customs cost).

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 39n of March 15, 2005 on the Amendments to the Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 66n of August 9, 2004

According to the amendments, the time limits for submission of the quarterly reports is set to 30 days within the end of the quarter, and for submission of annual reports - till April 25 of the year following the reported one.

The time limit for submission of reports on lotteries is changed in pursuance of the Decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. GKPI 04-1436 of December 14, 2004 stating that submission of the quarterly form of the report of a non-state lottery until 25th of the month following the reported quarter is not in compliance with the actual legislation on accounting work.

The Order is entered into force where it pertains to the time limit for submission of the quarterly report from the day of entry into force of the mentioned Decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 13, 2005. Reg. No. 6498.

Order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation No. 125 of March 3, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Instruction on the Checking and Evaluation of the Condition of the Functional and Territorial Subsystems of the Uniform State System of Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations

Specifies the procedure of checking and evaluation of the condition of the functional and territorial subsystems of the Uniform State System of Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations created by the bodies of executive power, bodies of local government and organisations to implement the authority in prevention and elimination of emergency situations, provide fire safety and people safety on the water objects.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 8, 2005. Reg. No. 6491.

Order of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 245 of March 31, 2005 on the Amendments to the List of Medicines

Amends the list of medicines handed out to doctor (feldsher) prescriptions in cases of additional free medical aid to individual categories of citizens entitled for the state social aid.

The Order is entered into force from June 1, 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 8, 2005. Reg. No. 6485.

Order of the Federal Tax Service No. SEA-3-01/138@ of April 4, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Forms to Check the Estimates of Taxes, Fees, Contributions, Inform Taxpayers of the State of Estimates of Taxes, Fees, Contributions and Their Filling Methodology Directions

Endorses 4 forms of documents: Form 23 (full) "Act of Checking of Taxpayer Estimates of Taxes, Fees and Contributions", Form 23-a (short) "Act of Checking of Taxpayer Estimates of Taxes, Fees and Contributions", Form 39-1 "Certificate of the State of Estimates of Taxes, Fees and Contributions" and Form 39-1f "Certificate of the State of Estimates of Taxes, Fees, and Contributions". Also provides the rules of filling of the mentioned forms.

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 56-T of April 6, 2005 on the Methodology Recommendations to Arrange the Checking of Observation by Credit Organisations of the Requirements of the Legislation of the Russian Federation and Normative Acts of the Bank of Russia in the Sphere of Combating of Legalisation (Laundering) of Incomes Obtained in a Criminal Way and Financing of Terrorism

According to the new methodology recommendations, credit organisations shall continue to carry out the checks of organisation of internal control of observation of the legislation of the Russian Federation and normative acts of the Bank of Russia in the sphere of combating legalisation (laundering) of incomes obtained in a criminal way and financing of terrorism. Credit organisations shall be checked for compliance of their activities with the provisions of the legislation of the Russian Federation and normative acts of the Bank of Russia in the mentioned sphere, as well as own rules of internal control.

The Letter lists the documents on internal control to be inspected in the credit organisation during the check. The check shall include identification of clients by the credit organisation, finding and identification of beneficiaries. The check shall also include observation of the requirement prohibiting the opening of anonymous accounts (deposits), prohibiting the opening of accounts (deposits) to natural persons without the personal presence of the person opening the account (deposit) or his representative, as well as prohibiting to maintain relations with non-resident banks that do not have permanent management bodies on the territory of the states where they are registered.

Accounting and cash documents are used to select operations of payments under real estate transactions, check the presence of documents permitting to establish the amount of the transaction with immovable property and qualify the given transaction as requiring obligatory control.

The check includes observation by the credit organisation of the requirements of suspension of operations with monetary resources or other property.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 214 of April 13, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Organisation and Carrying out of Works in Obligatory Confirmation of Compliance of the Means of Communication

Specifies the rules of obligatory confirmation of compliance of the means of communication used in a public-use communication network, as well as in technological communication networks and special-purpose communication networks if they are connected to a public-use communication network. The means of communication used in technological communication networks and special-purpose communication networks are subject to obligatory certification where it pertains to their connection to a public-use communication network.

The means of communication other than those included in the list of the means of communication subject to obligatory certification need compliance declaration. Compliance declaration includes adoption of a compliance declaration by the applicant on the basis of own proof and proof obtained from an accredited testing laboratory (centre).

Before the entry into force of the special acts, obligatory confirmation of compliance of the means of communication shall include compliance with the requirements specified in the normative legal acts of the Russian Federation adopted before July 1, 2003 and normative legal acts of the federal bodies of executive power in the sphere of communication adopted before January 1, 2004.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 212 of April 13, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rate of the Export Customs Duty for Individual Types of Cellulose

The rate of the export customs duty for the cellulose of wood, soda or sulphate, other than dissolving grades, unbleached, semi-bleached or bleached, coniferous (codes according to the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature 4703 11 000 0, 4703 21 000 1, 4703 21 000 9) is fixed in the amount equal to zero.

The Decision is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication.

Letter of the Federal Service for Financial Markets No. 05-OV-01/4644 of March 30, 2005 on the Codes of Professional Ethics of the Management Companies, Specialised Depositories, Brokers Engaged in Activities Pertaining to the Generation and Investing of Resources of Accumulated Pensions

The codes of professional ethics of the management companies, specialised depositaries, brokers engaged in activities pertaining to the generation and investing of resources of accumulated pensions shall be adopted on the basis of the typical code endorsed by the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 770 of December 12, 2004. The Letter lists the provisions to be included in the adopted codes.

Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation No. 215 of March 29, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Instruction on the Procedure for Checking Military Institutions of Higher Professional Education of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation

Defines the goals and directions of checking of military institutions of higher professional education of internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, types of checks, their planning and arranging procedure, as well as criteria and procedure of assessment of the elements of the military educational institution and its structural divisions. The checks shall be arranged to control execution by educational institutions of the normative legal acts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, acts of the Commander-in-Chief of internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, personnel order for the training of officers of internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, assessment of quality of the educational process, other directions of activities of institutions of higher education, revealing drawbacks, rendering aid and dissemination of positive experience.

The checks of the military educational institutions are divided into inspection and control ones. Inspection checks include investigation, checking, assessment of condition and results of activities of the military educational institution, working out measures to improve the efficiency of the educational process. A control check includes investigation of the state of work to eliminate the drawbacks revealed in the coarse of inspection.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 8, 2005. Reg. No. 6488.

Order of the Federal Tax Service No. SAE-3-06/118@ of March 25, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on Exchange of Information in the Electronic Form Among the Tax Bodies of the Federal Tax Service of Russia on the Amounts of Indirect Taxes Paid to the Budgets of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus

Refines the procedure of exchange in the electronic form among the tax bodies of the Federal Tax Service of Russia of information on the amounts of indirect taxes paid to the budgets of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

The Regulation envisages a procedure of generation and transfer of information from applications for the import of commodities and payment of indirect taxes at the federal, regional (interregional) and local levels in the framework of the set of tasks "Automation of the Processes of Information Interaction of the Federal Tax Service of Russia and the Ministry of Taxation of the Republic of Belarus" (Belarus Exchange).

Letter of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 03-02-07/1-167 of March 23, 2005

In case of revealed facts of possible overpaid amounts of taxes, the tax body may send a suggestion to the taxpayer to verify jointly the paid taxes. Thus, the Tax Code does not envisage the duty of the tax bodies to verify the information of the tax bodies and the taxpayers of the paid taxes.

Federal Law No. 34-FZ of April 18, 2005 on the Amendments to Article 85 of the Federal Law on the General Principles of Organisation of Local Government in the Russian Federation

The bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation may specify before May 31, 2005 the procedure of election of the heads of the newly arranged municipal formations for the first term, as well as the status of the mentioned position in the structure of the bodies of local government, if the structure of the bodies of local Government is not defined at the local referendum (assembly of citizens).

When forming the contest commission for the examination of the candidates for the position of the head of the local administration of the municipal regions (city district), the bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation may assign the members of the contest commission in the amount equal to the number of members assigned by the representative body of the municipal formation when the contest for the position of the chief of the local administration is arranged by the representative body of the municipal formation of the first convocation.

The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Decision of the Plenum of the Higher Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation No. 11 of March 24, 2005 on Some Issues of Application of the Land Legislation

Legal entities having obtained land plots for permanent (unlimited) use before the entry into force of the Land Code may obtain them on lease terms or on the proprietary basis until January 1, 2006 at their choice regardless of the goal the land plots were granted for.

Non-normative acts of the authorised bodies granting land plots to citizens being independent entrepreneurs issued after the entry into force of the Land Code must be recognised as invalid or contradicting the law.

Independent entrepreneurs and legal entities possessing land plots on the basis of permanent (unlimited) use may not purchase on the proprietary basis free of charge land plots granted for entrepreneurial activities.

The prohibition specified in the law on the privatisation of state and municipal property for the legal entities with the share of the Russian Federation, subjects of the Russian Federation and municipal formations in the registered capital greater than 25% to buy state and municipal property does not apply to the privatisation by the mentioned legal entities of the land plots housing objects of immovable property possessed by them on the proprietary basis.

In case of a disagreement of the owner of the land plot with the decision of the bodies of power on the forced alienation of the land plot, or failure to reach an agreement on the buy-out price, the mentioned bodies may file a lawsuit to the court of arbitration to buy out the land plot no sooner than one year after the moment of receiving by the land owner of the written notification of the adopted decision of withdrawal, however, no later than within two years of the sending of such notification.

Letter of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 03-04-08/60 of March 22, 2005 on the Application of the Value Added Tax to the Services of Transfer of Exclusive Rights

The reward paid out to the holder of rights being a Russian organisation in the form of a lumpsum and periodic (royalty) payments by the user being a foreign company, if the place of its activities is not the territory of the Russian Federation, is not subject to the value added tax.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 230 of April 18, 2005 on the Factor for Indexing the Monthly Insurance Payment for Obligatory Social Insurance against Industrial Accidents and Occupational Diseases

From January 1, 2005, the indexing coefficient for the amount of the monthly insurance payments for obligatory social insurance against industrial accidents and occupational diseases set before January 1, 2005 will make 1.094.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 226 of April 16, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Financing in 2005 of Expenses for Social Programs, Including the Tied Social Aid to Non-Working Pensioners, and for the Measures to Eliminate the Consequences of Emergency Situations and Natural Disasters Pertaining to Tied Social Aid to Non-Working Pensioners at the Expense of Resources of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation

Specifies the procedure of allocation, spending and control over the use for the designated purposes of the resources of the Pension Fund intended to finance in 2005 the mentioned measures.

The financed social programs envisage, in particular, lumpsum material aid to non-working pensioners, purchase of the means of personal rehabilitation, items of daily necessity and subscription for periodicals.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 224 of April 15, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Method of Determination of the Aggregate Weighted Figure (Rating) of a Specialised Depositary During the Contest of 2005 to Select a Specialised Depositary to Conclude the Contract for the Services of a Specialised Depositary by the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation

Specifies the procedure of determination of the aggregate weighted figure (rating) of a specialised depositary to reveal the winner of the contest of 2005 to select the specialised depositary to conclude the contract for the services of the specialised depositary by the Pension Fund.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 223 of April 15, 2005 on the Endorsement of the List of Commodities Where the Production and/or Sale Does Not Exempt the Organisation from the Land Tax for the Land Plots Used for Production or Sale of These Commodities

The mentioned list includes automobile tyres, hunting rifles, yachts, scooters (except for the special-purpose ones), items of ferrous and non-ferrous metals (other than recoverable and metal items), precious metals and stones, fur items (other than items for children), high-quality items of crystal and porcelain, caviar, as well as ready-made delicacies of valuable fishes and sea products.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 221 of April 15, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Rendering of Postal Communication Services

The rules shall regulate relations of users of postal communication and operators of public-use postal communication when they conclude and execute the contract for the postal communication services, as well as specify the rights and duties of the mentioned operators and users.

The services of postal communication are divided into universal postal communication services and other ones (including the postal money transfers, international dispatches, EMS services).

Depending on the method of processing, postal dispatches are divided into simple and registered ones.

In cases of failure to execute or improper execution of the duties of rendering of the postal communication services, the user may file a claim to the operator, including the one to reimburse the damage.

In cases of a violation of the time limits of transfer of postal dispatches and money transfers for personal, family, household and other needs other than entrepreneurial activities of citizens, the operators of postal communication shall pay out the penalty in the amount of 3% of the payment for the postal communication service for each overdue day, however, not more than the amount paid for such service, and for the violation of the time limit of delivery by air mail - the difference between the delivery by the air and the ground transport.

The Decision is entered into force from May 1, 2005.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 219 of April 15, 2005 on the Amendments to the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 643 of October 24, 2003

Amends the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation endorsing the rules of the wholesale market of electric power for the transient period. A new wording is provided for the list of the subjects of the Russian Federation whose territories are united in the pricing zones of the wholesale market of electric power for the transient period.

The Ministry of the Industry and Power Supplies of Russia is ordered to endorse the methodology directions on the procedure of calculation of technological losses of electric power taken into account in the equilibrium prices at the wholesale market of electric power for the transient period.

The contracts earlier concluded by the participants of the wholesale market of the second pricing zone envisaging the purchase and sale of electric power in the volumes recorded in the summary forecast of production and supplies of electric power shall preserve their force until expiry.

The Decision is entered into force from May 1, 2005.

Order of the Federal Tax Service, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. SAE-3-19/80@/53/34n of March 10, 2005 on the Implementation of the Provisions of the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 573 of October 21, 2004 on the Procedure and Terms of Financing of the Bankruptcy Proceedings of Absent Debtors

Endorses the list and the limiting amount of expenses due for compensation of the bankruptcy commissioner in charge of the bankruptcy proceedings of the absent debtor carried out to the application of the authorised body. Also endorses the lists of the documents confirming the right of the bankruptcy commissioner to get the remuneration and compensation pertaining to the bankruptcy proceedings.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 18, 2005. Reg. No. 6516.

Order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation No. 621 of December 28, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Working out and Coordination of the Plans to Prevent and Eliminate Spills of Oil and Oil Products on the Territory of the Russian Federation

Specifies general requirements to the planning of prevention and elimination of spills of oil and oil products and emergency situations because of the spills of oil and oil products. Also defines the procedure of coordination and endorsement of plans to prevent and eliminate such spills and appropriate calendar plans of operative measures in the presence of such hazards.

The requirements shall apply on the whole territory of the Russian Federation except for the vessels subject to international conventions involving the Russian Federation, and are obligatory for execution by all officials and specialists engaged in the mentioned activities.

The Order is entered into force from May 1, 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 14, 2005. Reg. No. 6514.

Order of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation No. 48 of April 1, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of State Registration of Medicines for Animals and Nutrient Additives

Introduces a uniform procedure of the state registration of home- and foreign-made medicines for animals and nutrient additives except for the ones from modified organisms.

The state registration is vested in the Federal Service of Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Enforcement on the basis of the statement of the federal state institution "All-Russia State Centre of Quality Control and Standardisation of Medicines for Animals and Fodders" to be carried out within six months from the day of submission of the registration documents. The registered medicine or additive is entered in the State Register of Medicines and Nutrient Additives.

The introduced procedure of the state registration is obligatory for execution by legal entities and natural persons engaged in production, sale, use, as well as import to the territory of the Russian Federation, of medicines and additives.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 14, 2005. Reg. No. 6510.

Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation No. 65 of March 10, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Instruction on the Procedure of Issue of the State-Approved Documents of the Higher Professional Education, Filling and Storage of Appropriate Blank Documents

The state-approved documents of the higher professional education are issued in specialities and fields of training where the higher educational institution has state accreditation. State-approved blank diplomas of the higher professional education on the hard cover are used on the equal basis with the blank diplomas made without the hard cover since 2003.

The Order specifies the rules of issue of the diploma of unfinished higher professional education and the academic certificate, as well as the copies of diplomas.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 13, 2005. Reg. No. 6508.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 233 of April 18, 2005 on the Rules of Connection to Public-Use Railway Tracks of New, Being Built or Restored Public-Use and Non-Public-Use Railway Tracks and Closing of Public-Use Railway Tracks, Including Low-Intensity Lines and Portions and Railway Stations

Defines the procedure of taking decisions when carrying out works to connect to public-use railway tracks new, being built and resorted public-use and non-public-use railway tracks and closing of public-use railway tracks, including the low-intensity lines and portions and railway stations.

The rules do not apply to the temporarily closed public-use and non-public-use railway tracks if there are failures jeopardizing traffic safety and operation of the railway transport, security, technical condition of the rolling stock, containers or condition of cargo.

Order of the Federal Service for Financial Markets No. 05-6/pz-n of March 30, 2005 on the Amendments to the List of Officials of the Federal Service for Financial Markets Authorised to Draw up the Protocols of Administrative Violations Endorsed by the Order of the Federal Service for Financial Markets of Russia No. 04-391/pz-n

The list includes now other officials of the territorial bodies of the Federal Service for Financial Markets specially authorised to control observation of the legislation in the sphere of financial markets (except for the insurance, banking and audit activities).

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 20, 2005. Reg. No. 6526.

Order of the Federal Service for Financial Markets No. 05-7/pz-n of March 30, 2005 on the Amendments to the List of Officials of the Territorial Bodies of the Federal Service for Financial Markets Authorised to Draw up the Protocols of Administrative Violations Endorsed by the Order of the Federal Service for Financial Markets of Russia No. 04-936/pz-n of November 12, 2004

The list includes now other officials of the territorial bodies of the Federal Service for Financial Markets specially authorised to control observation of the legislation in the sphere of financial markets (except for the insurance, banking and audit activities).

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 20, 2005. Reg. No. 6524.

Direction of the Central Bank of Russia No. 1571-U of April 11, 2005 on the Amendments to the Regulation of the Bank of Russia No. 205-P of December 5, 2002 on the Rules of Accounting Work in Credit Organisations Located on the Territory of the Russian Federation

The chart of accounts for credit organisations is extended to include new Accounts 30232 (passive) and 30233 (active) "Unfinished Payments in Operations Using Pay Cards". The accounts are intended for recording the amounts of unfinished payments in operations committed using pay cards. The Direction excludes a number of accounts intended for payments using bank cards. Changes the description of Account 20208 "Monetary Resources in Cash Dispensers", 40903 "Pay Checks" and a number of other.

The list of operations of credit organisations subject to additional control shall include operations on Account 40820 "Accounts of Non-Resident Natural Persons".

The Direction is entered into force 10 days after the day of its publication in the Herald of the Bank of Russia.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 20, 2005. Reg. No. 6522.

Order of the Federal Service for Financial Markets No. 05-8/pz-n of March 30, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Composition and Structure of Assets of Joint-Stock Investment Funds and Assets of Shared Investment Funds

Specifies new requirements to the composition and structure of assets of joint-stock and shared investment funds. Thus, monetary resources available in the deposits in one credit organisation may comprise not more than 25% of the cost of assets. In this case, estimated cost of securities may not be greater than 50% of the cost of assets, municipal securities - not more than 10% of the cost of assets, and estimated cost of the bonds of Russian companies, bonds of foreign commercial organisations, securities of international financial organisations and securities of foreign states - not more than 10% of the cost of assets.

Depending on the composition of assets, the fund may be a monetary market one, bonds one, stocks one, fund of mixed investments, fund of direct investments, fund of risk (venture) investments, assets fund, fond of immovable property, mortgage fund or index fund.

The composition and structure of assets of investment funds must be brought in compliance with the new rules within one year from the date of entry into force of the Order.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 14, 2005. Reg. No. 6513.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 239 of April 19, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Working out, Endorsement and Implementation of the Tied Agency Programs

Defines the procedure of working out, endorsement and carrying out of the tied agency programs aimed at implementation by the subjects of the budget planning of the state policy in the specified spheres of activities, reaching the goals and tasks of socio-economic development, improving efficiency of expenses of the federal budget.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 238 of April 19, 2005 on the Financing in 2005 of Expenses to Make Additional Payments for Obligatory Medical Insurance for Non-Working Pensioners

The Pension Fund is ordered to finance in 2005 expenses to make additional payments for obligatory medical insurance for non-working pensioners in the amount of Rbl 9 billion proceeding from Rbl 300 per year per non-working pensioner.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 232 of April 18, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Compensation of Additional Expenses and/or Losses of the Budgets of Closed Administrative Territorial Formations Pertaining to the Special Security Regime

The compensation is implemented by granting inter-budget transfers from the federal budget. The transfers are allocated in the form of grants and subventions. The volume of inter-budget transfers for the subsequent fiscal year is determined by multiplying the volume of inter-budget transfers endorsed by the federal law on the federal budget for the current year by the forecasted in the subsequent fiscal year level of inflation (consumer price index).

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 228 of April 16, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Rules (Standards) of Audit Activities Endorsed by the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 696 of September 23, 2002

The federal rules (standards) of audit activities are extended to include seven new standards.

Standard 17 "Getting Audit Evidence in Particular Cases" specifies uniform requirements to obtained audit evidence in cases of auditor presence during inventory taking of material and production reserves, disclosing of information on lawsuits and disputes, assessment and disclosing of information on long-term financial investments and disclosing of information on the reporting segments of financial (accounting) reports of the audited entity.

Standard 18 "Getting Confirmation from External Sources by the Auditor" specifies uniform requirements to information of confirmative nature from external sources (external confirmation) used by the auditor to obtain audit evidence.

Standard 19 "Particulars of the First Check of the Audited Entity" defines uniform requirements to the checks of the residues on accounts as of the beginning of the reported period when the audit check of financial (accounting) reports of the audited entity is carried out for the first time or when the audit check of the financial (accounting) reports of the audited entity for the previous period has been carried out by another auditor.

Standard 20 "Analytical Procedures" specifies uniform requirements to applied analytical procedures on the stage of planning and the final stage of the audit check.

Standard 21 "Particulars of Auditing of Estimated Values" specifies uniform requirements to the audit checks of estimated values in the financial (accounting) reports. The standard does not apply to forecasted or expected financial information, however, many of the procedures envisaged in it may be used for this purpose.

Standard 22 "Reporting Information Obtained As a Result of the Audit Check to the Management of the Audited Entity and Representatives of Its Owners" defines the requirements to the reported information obtained as a result of the audit check of the financial (accounting) reports to the management (leading officials) of the audited entity and representatives of the owner of this entity.

Standard 23 "Declarations and Explanations of the Management of the Audited Entity" specifies uniform requirements pertaining to declarations and explanations of the management of the audited entity as audit evidence, procedures of documentary support of the declarations and explanations of the management, as well as the auditor actions if the management of the audited entity refuses to present appropriate declarations and explanations.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 50n of March 28, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Form of the Tax Declaration for the Uniform Agricultural Tax and Its Filling Procedure

Endorses the form of the tax declaration for the uniform agricultural tax (KND Form 1151059) and its filling rules. The declaration is filled out by taxpayers using the system of taxation for agricultural producers (uniform agricultural tax) in compliance with Article 26.1 of the Tax Code for the tax (reported) period. At the end of the reported period, the declaration is submitted no later than within 25 days from the day of the end of the reported period. At the end of the tax period, the declaration is submitted: no later than March 31 by organisations and no later than April 30 by independent entrepreneurs of the year following the expired tax period.

The Order shall apply from the declaration for the first six months of 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 20, 2005. Reg. No. 6529.

Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation No. 107 of April 8, 2005 on the Expert Evaluation of Text-Books

Specifies the procedure of expert evaluation of text-books to provide for the quality of text-books and building of the federal lists of text-books recommended (permitted) for use in educational institutions implementing the programs of the secondary education and possessing state accreditation. The goal of the expert evaluation is assessment of compliance of text-books with the present-day scientific knowledge taking into account the level of the educational program, as well as the requirements to the structure and methodology of the text-books corresponding to the age-specific and psychological particulars of the students.

The expert evaluation shall be vested in the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Academy of Education and other organisations included in the special list.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 14, 2005. Reg. No. 6509.

Message of the President of the Russian Federation to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of April 25, 2005

The Message of 2005 elaborates and makes more specific the previous Message of 2004 forming together a uniform program of actions for the nearest decade.

One of the main tasks is improving efficiency of state management, strict observation of legislation by state servants, providing quality services to the population by them. The following major task in the order of significance is strengthening of the Russian Federation, envisaging, in particular, a further enlargement of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The third task is an active policy of liberalisation of entrepreneurial environment.

Specially emphasised is the work of the tax and customs bodies. A priority in their activities must be the checking of execution of the tax and customs legislation rather then fulfilling "plans" of collection of taxes and fees. The Message also emphasises expediency of abolishing of the tax on the inherited property.

Federal Law No. 39-FZ of April 22, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Fundamentals of the System of Prevention of Unattended Behaviour and Delinquency of the Underage

Bad social behaviour of the underage shall include also systematic consumption of alcoholic and alcohol-containing products, beer and drinks on its basis (earlier, alcoholic drinks). In this case, the beer and drinks on its basis imply beer with the content of ethyl alcohol greater than 0.5% of the volume of the finished product and the drinks made on its basis with the mentioned content of ethyl alcohol.

Federal Law No. 38-FZ of April 22, 2005 on the Amendment to Article 12.24 of the Code of Administrative Violations of the Russian Federation

Provides a new wording for Article 12.24 of the Code of Administrative Violations of the Russian Federation "Violation of Traffic Rules or the Rules of Operation of a Transport Vehicle Inflicting a Light or Average-Degree Damage to the Health of the Victim". The Article shall include also and average-degree damage to the health of the victim. Such damage implies an administrative fine in the amount of 15 to 25 minimum amounts of labour remuneration or revocation of the driver's license for the period of 6 months to 1 year. The average-degree damage is implied to be a prolonged health impairment without jeopardising the human life or a significant stable loss of the general working ability by less than one third.

Federal Law No. 37-FZ of April 22, 2005 on the Amendment to Article 19 of the Federal Law on the Status of Servicemen

Students of military institutions of the secondary and higher professional education, before they conclude a contract for the military service, and the persons undergoing studies in general educational institutions with an additional military training for the underage may enjoy exemptions when they visit paid events organised by institutions of culture and sports.

Federal Law No. 36-FZ of April 21, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Funerals and Obsequial Activities

The amendments are aimed at legislative introduction of the norms pertaining to the creation and functioning of the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery, military memorial cemeteries and other burial places for the military envisaged in the Law of the Russian Federation No. 4292-1 of January 14, 1993 on the perpetuation of the memory of the diseased defendants of the Fatherland".

The Federal Law solves legal issues of destination, creation, agency affiliation and procedure of operation of the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery and other memorial military cemeteries.

Federal Law No. 35-FZ of April 21, 2005 on the Amendment to the Federal Law on the Higher and Post-Graduate Professional Education

Students of the federal state higher educational institutions of intra-mural studies getting education at the expense of the federal budget shall have their stipends increased from Rbl 400 to Rbl 500 from April 1, 2005 and up to Rbl 600 from September 1, 2005.

The Federal Law is entered into force from April 1, 2005.

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 449 of April 20, 2005 "Issues of the Accumulated Mortgage System of Housing Support for Servicemen"

The Government of the Russian Federation is ordered to create a federal state institution "Federal Department of Accumulated System of Housing Support for Servicemen" to be unsupervised by the Ministry of Defence of Russia. Servicemen assigned to the mentioned federal state institution to positions with lower salaries shall preserve their salaries as of the earlier occupied positions before they may get higher salaries. Besides, such servicemen shall also get the earlier available additional payments.

The Decree is entered into force from the day of its signing.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 246 of April 21, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Reimbursement to Operators of Multiple Services of Losses Incurred Through Such Services

The losses shall be reimbursed in the amount not greater than the amount of reimbursement of losses specified in the contract for the multiple services concluded as a result of the contest, or the maximum amount of reimbursement of losses if the duty to provide the service was vested in the communication operator by the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation.

To determine and substantiate the amount of losses incurred through the rendering of multiple communication services, the operators of multiple services must keep separate records of incomes and expenses for the carried out types of activities for each subject of the Russian Federation where the multiple services are provided.

Reimbursement of losses shall be vested in the Federal Agency of Communication at the expense of the Reserve for Multiple Services.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 244 of April 21, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Composition, Procedure and Time Limits of Submission of Information on the Debts for Entry in the State Book of Debts of the Russian Federation

Defines the composition, procedure and time limits of submission of information on the debts in the form of the state loans implemented through the issue of securities in the name of the Russian Federation, as well as in the form of credit contracts concluded on behalf of the Russian Federation as a borrower, for entry in the State Debt Book.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 243 of April 21, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Generation and Spending of Resources of the Reserve for Multiple Services

The sources of generation of resources of the reserve are obligatory deductions of communication operators rendering communication services in a public-use communication network and other sources not prohibited by the law. Communication operators shall deduce on the quarterly basis 1.2% of the resources, the amount being estimated as the difference between incomes from the rendered services in a public-use communication network and incomes from the rendered services of connection and services of traffic transfer in a public-use communication network. The mentioned difference of incomes does not include the amounts paid out in the form of the value added tax. Deductions to the reserve are effected at the end of each quarter no later than the 30th of the month following the last month of the expired quarter.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 242 of April 21, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of State Regulation of Tariff Rates for Multiple Services

Defines the procedure and principles of regulation of tariff rates for the multiple services. Regulation applies to tariff rates for the following multiple communication services: providing local telephone connections using paid telephones; data transfer and Internet connection using collective-access points.

Tariff rates are calculated by the Federal Agency of Communication when they decide to arrange a contest for the multiple communication services and are included in the contract for multiple communication services.

Tariff rate per minute of local telephone connection using a paid telephone is determined as a ratio of the minimum of the amounts of user fees specified by the Federal Service of Tariff Rates of Russia in the subject of the Russian Federation to the average monthly volume of local telephone connections of the users of the local telephone network taken into account when calculating the mentioned user fee.

Tariff rate per megabyte of data when rendering the services of data transfer in Internet collective-access points is determined as a product of the tariff rate per minute of local telephone connection by the time necessary to transfer 1 megabyte of data with the transfer rate of 19.2 kb/s.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 241 of April 21, 2005 on the Measures to Arrange Multiple Communication Services

The rendering of multiple communication services is vested in a communication operator providing communication services in a public-use communication network on the basis of the contract concluded with the Federal Agency of Communication as a result of the contest or on the basis of the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation. The communication operator having concluded the contract must start providing multiple communication services no later than within 6 months from the date of concluding the contract.

Order of the Federal Service for Financial Markets No. 05-3/pz-n of March 16, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Licensing Procedure for the Types of Professional Activities at the Securities Market

The Order regulates relations between the Federal Service for Financial Markets of Russia and legal entities pertaining to the licensing of the types of professional activities at the securities market. The endorsed procedure is used to license broker, dealer, depositary, clearing activities, as well as activities in the management of securities, keeping of the Register of Holders of Securities and organisation of trade at the securities market and/or stock exchange. When applying for the first time, the applicant gets the license valid for three years. Unrestricted license is issued only for the type of activities at the securities market where there is license for three years as of the moment of taking of the decision by the licensing body to issue the unrestricted license.

The Order lists the types of activities permitted for combining at the securities market.

The Order is entered into force 10 days after the date of its official publication. The provision requiring the licence holder to have at least one controller as his main job is entered into force 3 months after the date of entry into force of the Order.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 20, 2005. Reg. No. 6533.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 45n of March 23, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Regulation of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation

The Regulation shall specify the rules of organisation of work of the Ministry of Finance of Russia in implementation of its functions and authority, including the general rules of organisation of interaction of the Ministry of Finance of Russia with the federal bodies of executive power supervised by it.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 19, 2005. Reg. No. 6518.

Letter of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 03-04-08/104 of April 20, 2005 on the Submission to the Tax Bodies of the Tax Declarations for the Value Added Tax for March and the I Quarter of 2005 Using the Forms Endorsed by the Order of the Ministry of Taxation of Russia No. BG-3-03/644 of November 20, 2003 on the Endorsement of the Forms of Declarations for the Value Added Tax

The taxpayers may submit to the tax bodies tax declarations for the mentioned tax period using both the forms endorsed by the Order of the Ministry of Taxation of Russia No. BG-3-03/644 of November 20, 2003 on the endorsement of the forms of declarations for the value added tax and the forms endorsed by the Order of the Ministry of Finance of Russia No. 31n of March 3, 2005 on the endorsement of the forms of tax declarations for the value added tax and indirect taxes (value added tax and excises) for the cases of import of commodities to the territory of the Russian Federation from the territory of the Republic of Belarus and their filling procedures.

Decision of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation No. 1764-IV GD of April 20, 2005 on the Procedure of Application of the Decision of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the Amnesty Relative to the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45

Decision to apply the act of amnesty is taken for each person individually. In the absence of necessary information on this person, examination of the issue of application of the act of amnesty is postponed until additional documents are received.

The Decision on the amnesty applies to those having committed the crimes before its entry into force and the convicts serving the term on the territory of the Russian Federation. The Decision lists the categories of persons subject to the amnesty. Serving the term by the convicts is terminated from the day of endorsement of the decisions on the application of the act of the amnesty by the prosecutor.

The persons falling under the Decision on the amnesty are not exempted from administrative responsibility and the duty to reimburse the damage incurred as a result of illegal actions committed by them.

The Decision is entered into force from the day of its official publication.

Decision of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation No. 1761-IV GD of April 20, 2005 on the Amnesty Relative to the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45

The punishment in the form of imprisonment shall not apply to the convict veterans of the Great Patriotic War, former prisoners of concentration camps, ghettos, other places of imprisonment created by the nazi Germany and its allies during World War II. Exemption from punishment shall also apply to those on probation, those with suspended punishment, as well as those convicted to punishment other than imprisonment. Besides, such citizens are exempted from additional types of unexecuted punishments. The mentioned persons shall be cleared off the criminal record.

Criminal cases processed by the bodies of preliminary investigation, as well as the criminal cases processed by the courts where the proceedings have not started yet, pertaining to crimes committed by the mentioned persons shall be terminated.

The Decision is entered into force from the day of its official publication and must be executed within six months.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 249 of April 22, 2005 on the Terms and Procedure of Granting in 2005 of Resources of the Federal Budget Allocated for the State Support of Small Businesses Including the Peasant (Farmers') Enterprises

Resources of the federal budget envisaged in 2005 for the state support of small businesses shall be granted by the Ministry of Economic Development on the contest basis to the budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation in the form of subsidies to finance the measures in the framework of the state support of small businesses.

The state support shall not be granted to organisations and independent entrepreneurs engaged in production of excisable commodities, as well as extraction and sale of mineral resources, participants of the product-sharing agreements, as well as non-residents.

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 64-T of April 20, 2005 on the S.W.I.F.T. Registration of Credit Organisations

Credit organisations registered in the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (S.W.I.F.T.) are recommended to present to ROSSWIFT in the electronic form before July 1, 2005 information on the abbreviated name, organisational and legal form and actual address of the credit organisation in English.

Federal Law No. 40-FZ of April 26, 2005 on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Lithuanian Republic on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Avoidance of Payment of Taxes for the Incomes and Capital Taxes

Ratifies the Agreement signed in Moscow on June 29, 1999. The Agreement applies to the incomes and capital taxes and permits the residents to enjoy exemptions from the paid amount of tax in the amount of tax due for payment in the other contracting state if the national legislation does not envisage a more beneficial taxation.

Ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation No. 36-O of January 18, 2005 on the Refusal to Accept for Consideration the Appeal of the Open-Type Joint-Stock Company "Oil Company Yukos" against Violation of the Constitutional Rights and Freedoms by Provisions of Item 7 of Article 3 and Article 113 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation

The applicant challenged constitutionality of the provision of Article 113 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation stating that an entity may not be called to account for a tax violation if three years (period of limitation) have passed from the day of committing the violation or the day following the end of the tax period when the violation was committed. Earlier, the Arbitration Court of the city of Moscow, when examining the case, did not apply the provision on the term of limitation for the tax liability because of the revealed taxpayer unfairness. According to the Arbitration Court of the city of Moscow, the norms of the tax legislation providing the rights or guarantees to bona fide taxpayers, may not apply to unfair ones.

The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation emphasised that the universal application of the conclusions of this kind is not permissible in this case, and may not serve as grounds to deprive the applicant of the guarantees specified in Article 113 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 248 of April 22, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Carrying out of the Contest for the Multiple Communication Services

Defines the procedure of organisation and carrying out of the contest for the right of rendering of multiple communication services to select communication operators rendering services in a public-use communication network to get this right, as well as the procedure of concluding the contract for such services. The contest organiser shall be the Federal Agency of Communication.

Order of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Ministry of the Industry and Power Supplies of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 73/81/58n of April 15, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Procedure Defining the Notion of "Industrial Assembly" and Specifying Application of the Given Notion for the Cases of Import to the Territory of the Russian Federation of Automobile Components to Produce Motor Vehicles of Headings 8701-8705 of the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature and Their Units

"Industrial assembly" of motor vehicles implies a system of serial production on the basis of production processes providing for design production capacities of the enterprise at least 25,000 units per year with a two-shift working cycle including the types of works listed in the Order.

Import of automobile components classified under the codes of the Foreign Trade Commodity Nomenclature of the Russian Federation for "industrial assembly" of motor vehicles is implemented on the basis of the agreement concluded between the Ministry of Economic Development and the Russian legal entity.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 25, 2005. Reg. No. 6543.

Order of the Federal Service for Financial Markets No. 05-4/pz-n of March 16, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Standards of Issue of Securities and Registration of Securities Prospectuses

The new standards of issue of securities and registration of prospectuses of securities define the rules regulating the issue of securities, issuer options and bonds of legal entities, procedure of registration of prospectuses of securities. The document does not apply to the issue of state and municipal securities, as well as the issue of the bonds of the Bank of Russia. The new document contains significant changes as compared to the earlier available Standards of Issue endorsed by the Decision of the Federal Commission for Securities Market of Russia No. 03-30/ps of June 18, 2003.

The Order introduces a requirement to present the documents of payment of the state duty for the examination of the application and for the state registration. Lifts restrictions prohibiting professional participants of the securities market to render services to issuers to prepare prospectuses of securities (services of a financial advisor at the securities market) in the presence of any civil obligations between them. Introduces a requirement to disclose information of such obligations in the prospectus of securities.

Removes individual additional functions of financial advisors at the securities market pertaining to control over the placing of securities and disclosing of information in the course of issue of securities.

Removes obstacles preventing the purchase of securities in the course of their placing by professional participants rendering the services of a financial advisor to the issue or services of placing the securities (underwriting), as well as any securities of the issuer before the state registration of the report of the results of issue of securities.

Introduces a new price-forming mechanism for the placing of securities on the basis of the special terms of tenders (auction) envisaging the sending of two types of purchase applications (competitive - in prices and non-competitive), defining the minimum offering price (cut-off price) by the issuer and satisfaction of submitted requests.

Introduces the rule of endorsement of the report of the results of issue of securities by the person implementing the functions of the personal executive body of the issuer.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 20, 2005. Reg. No. 6531.

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 63-T of April 20, 2005 on the Inclusion of Securities in the Lombard List of the Bank of Russia

The list of securities included in the Lombard List of the Bank of Russia shall include the bonds of the loans of the city of Moscow with the state registration numbers of issues RU27041MOS, RU25042MOS.

Letter of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 03-05-01-07/6 of March 28, 2005

The taxpayer may reduce the taxable base for the incomes tax of natural persons not only for expenses for construction or purchase of dwelling space in the monetary form, but also when the rights are handed over under a promissory note. Meanwhile, the promissory note handed over in payment of the cost of the dwelling space may be recognises as taxpayer expenses only if it was purchased by him from a third party in the framework of civil relations. The promissory note issued to the seller in his own name in payment for the cost of the dwelling space may not be recognised as expenses, since the maker of the promissory note does not hand over any property to the seller of the dwelling space, but only assumes obligation to make the payment under the promissory note in the future.

Order of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 273 of April 11, 2005 on the Follow-up Treatment (Rehabilitation) under Sanatorium Conditions

Endorses the procedure of accommodation of employees for the follow-up treatment directly after a stationary treatment in specialised sanatoria (departments). The procedure defines the principles of organisation of the joint work of the Social Insurance Fund and its regional divisions, bodies of public health of the subjects of the Russian Federation and institutions of preventive treatment providing follow-up treatment (rehabilitation) for the insured working citizens directly after a stationary treatment.

Provides recommendations on the choice of individual patients on medical grounds for accommodation in specialised sanatoria (departments).

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 21, 2005. Reg. No. 6541.

Order of the Federal Treasury No. 1n of March 22, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of Providing Cash Services for the Execution of the Budgets of the Subjects of the Russian Federation and Local Budgets by the Territorial Bodies of the Federal Treasury

The endorsed procedure shall regulate relations emerging in the process of carrying out and recording by the territorial bodies of the Federal Treasury of operations in the currency of the Russian Federation of entry and writing off of resources from the account of the budget of the subject of the Russian Federation.

The Order shall enter into force from January 1, 2006.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 20, 2005. Reg. No. 6539.

Order of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation No. 54 of April 11, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of Use in 2005 of the Subsidies Provided from the Federal Budget to the Budgets of the Subjects of the Russian Federation to Compensate Part of Expenses of Agricultural Producers to Insure Agricultural Crops with the Normative (Method) of Determination of the Amount of Subsidies by the Subjects of the Russian Federation

Resources of the federal budget shall be transferred in the form of subsidies to the budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation by the Federal Agency for Agriculture in accordance with the summary budget list of the federal budget within the limits of the endorsed budget obligations and volumes of financing. The subsidies are allocated to agricultural producers to compensate 50% of the paid insurance premium (insurance contribution) under the contract of insurance of agricultural crops. The Order lists the terms of granting of subsidies. In particular, the subsidies are provided only to insure the crops of winter grains, spring grains and legumes, oil-bearing, sugar beet, rice, soybean and fibre flax.

To get the subsidies, agricultural producers shall submit to the authorised body of executive power of the subject of the Russian Federation an estimate certificate drawn up to the form endorsed by the Order and copies of contracts of insurance and the documents certifying the payment of the insurance premium (insurance contribution) under the concluded insurance contracts.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 19, 2005. Reg. No. 6520.

Order of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation No. 53 of April 11, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of Use in 2005 of the Subsidies Provided from the Federal Budget to the Budgets of the Subjects of the Russian Federation for the State Support of Individual Sectors of Agricultural Production with the Normatives (Method) of Determination of the Amount of Subsidies by the Subjects of the Russian Federation

Resources of the federal budget shall be provided to legal entities of any organisational and legal form, as well as the peasant (farmers') enterprises, in the form of subsidies to support animal breeding, including the sheep breeding, mother seed production, production of flax and hemp, purchase of chemical agents, support of grain delivery to the northern and mountain regions of the country, support of setting up and maintenance of perennial plants.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 19, 2005. Reg. No. 6519.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 262 of April 28, 2005 on the Transfer of the Day-Off in May 2005

Day-off of Saturday, May 14, 2005 is transferred to the Tuesday of May 10, 2005 for the purpose of rational use of the days-off and non-working holidays by employees.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 222 of April 15, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Rendering of Telegraphy Services

The endorsed rules shall regulate relations among the citizens, independent entrepreneurs, legal entities and communication operators providing telegraphy services in a public-use communication network. The rules are obligatory for communication operators and users. The working regime of the objects of communication necessary for the provided telegraphy services shall be specified by the communication operator independently.

Tariff rates for the services of the telegraphy communication shall be specified by the communication operator also independently if otherwise is not envisaged in the legislation on natural monopolies. The list of services of the telegraphy communication where tariff rates are regulated by the state, as well as their regulation procedure, are specified by the Government of the Russian Federation.

The Rules are entered into force from May 1, 2005.

Order of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 249 of April 1, 2005 on the Organisation of Extra Medical Aid to Individual Categories of Citizens

The Order shall regulate relations pertaining to consideration by the medical commission of the federal institution of public health of the medical documents of individual categories of citizens to provide extra medical aid.

The medical commission shall take the decision to accept the citizen for treatment in the given federal institution of public health or to prolong his treatment in the treatment and prevention institution at the place of residence or work no later than within 14 days from the date of receiving of the medical documents of the citizen, or no later than within 7 days in cases of personal examination.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 26, 2005. Reg. No. 6555.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 55n of April 8, 2005 on the Procedure of Registration of the Payers of the Gambling Tax

Specifies the rules of registration of organisations and independent entrepreneurs being the payers of the gambling tax. Lists the documents to be submitted to the tax bodies for registration.

The registration is carried out no later than within five days from the day of submission of the application for the registration of the object (objects) of taxation for the gambling tax. The tax bodies must hand out (send by mail) the notification of registration within the mentioned time limits.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 26, 2005. Reg. No. 6554.

Order of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation No. 68 of April 4, 2005 on the Places of Declaring of Individual Types of Commodities

Lists the customs bodies possessing enough technical means to apply the electronic form of declaring being the place of declaring of individual types of commodities imported by the highway transport to recipients in Moscow and the Moscow Province.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 26, 2005. Reg. No. 6551.

Order of the Federal Service for Financial Markets No. 05-5/pz-n of March 16, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Disclosing of Information by Issuers of Emission Securities

The endorsed Regulation shall regulate the composition, procedure and time limits of obligatory disclosing of information by a joint-stock company, disclosing of information at the stages of issue of emission securities, disclosing of information in the form of securities prospectus, quarterly report of the issuer of securities and reports of significant facts (events, actions) pertaining to financial and economic activities of the issuer of securities. Also specifies the requirements to the procedure of disclosing by issuers of other information on the execution of issuer obligations and implementation of the rights for the placed securities.

The Regulation applies to all issuers, including the foreign ones and international financial organisations, whose securities are being placed and/or are available in circulation in the Russian Federation. The Regulation does not apply to the Bank of Russia, as well as the issuers of state and municipal securities.

As compared to the earlier available Regulation endorsed by the Decision of the Federal Commission for Securities Market of Russia No. 03-32/ps of July 2, 2003, the new Regulation contains a number of significant changes. Thus, the rule is removed requiring to notify the trade organiser at the securities market of the intention and contents of the disclosed information at least 30 minutes in advance of its disclosing in the newsreel.

The Order introduces a requirement of the disclosing by joint-stock companies obliged to disclose information at the securities market of accounting reports (quarterly, annual, personal, consolidated) prepared to International Accounting Standards or US GAAP, as well as the contents of such reports, and in case of its audit - also the final part of the audit statement.

The text of the annual and the quarterly reports must be available on the Internet page for at least three years after the date of its publication in the Internet.

The Order is entered into force 10 days after the date of its official publication, except for the provisions where other time limits are specified for the entry into force.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 26, 2005. Reg. No. 6550.

Order of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation No. 33 of April 6, 2005 on the Endorsement of the List of Officials of the Federal Bailiff Service Authorised to Draw up the Protocols of Administrative Violations

Lists officials of the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia authorised to draw up the protocols of administrative violations envisaged in Articles 17.3-17.9, part 1 of Article 19.4, part 1 of Article 19.5, Articles 19.6, 19.7 of the Code of Administrative Violations of the Russian Federation.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on April 26, 2005. Reg. No. 6549.