Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 10.01.2006

Federal Law No. 6-FZ of January 3, 2006 on the Amendments to Part 1 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and the Budget Code of the Russian Federation

The amendments are aimed at removing the gaps and controversies in the Federal Law No. 127-FZ of October 26, 2002 on insolvency (bankruptcy), the Civil Code and the Budget Code pertaining to priority of satisfying the claims of the state as a creditor in cases of bankruptcy of legal entities.

According to the amendments to the Civil Code, the first priority, besides claims pertaining to damage to life or health of citizens, applies also to claims of compensation of the moral damage. In cases of liquidation of banks attracting resources of natural persons, the first priority applies also to claims of natural persons being bank creditors under the bank deposit and/or banks account contracts concluded with them (with exceptions).

The third priority applies to obligatory payments to the budget and extra-budgetary funds (earlier, the mentioned payments were included in the forth priority).

The forth priority applies to other creditors.

The priority list does not include now creditor claims under obligations secured with the pledging of the property of the liquidated legal entity. Earlier, the mentioned claims were satisfied as a third priority, now they are satisfied at the expense of resources obtained from the sale of object of pledging according to priority procedure as compared to other creditors, except for the obligations to creditors of the first and second priorities, where the claims rights emerged before conclusion of the appropriate contract of pledge.

The Budget Code is extended to include a new Article 242.1 defining the procedure of execution of obligations of debtors undergoing bankruptcy proceedings to the budgets of various levels of the budget system of the Russian Federation.

Federal Law No. 5-FZ of January 3, 2006 on the Amendment to Article 14 of the Federal Law on the Citizenship of the Russian Federation

Prolongs until January 1, 2008 the period of time permitting to apply for the citizenship of the Russian Federation to the former citizens of the USSR having arrived to the Russian Federation from the former USSR constituent states, registered at the place of residence in the Russian Federation as of July 1, 2002 or having received a permission for temporary residence in the Russian Federation. A simplified procedure of obtaining the citizenship of the Russian Federation is envisaged for the mentioned citizens. Besides, the given norm applies also to the former citizens of the USSR having obtained a residence permit in the Russian Federation after July 1, 2002.

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

Federal Law No. 4-FZ of January 3, 2006 on the Ratification of the Agreement on the Mutual Protection of Interstate Secrets in the Sphere of Legal Protection of Inventions

Ratifies the Agreement signed in Minsk on June 4, 1999. The Agreement is aimed at providing a legal protection of secret inventions created in the former USSR, providing a secrecy regime for the available information on such inventions, as well as the procedure of declassifying of these inventions. The member-states of the Agreement include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine.

Federal Law No. 3-FZ of January 1, 2006 on the Ratification of the Protocol on the Amendments to the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Kirghiz Republic on Employment and Social Protection of Immigrant Workforce of March 28, 1996

Ratifies the Protocol signed in Moscow on September 22, 2003. The Protocol is aimed at simplification of employment procedures for the citizens of the Kirghiz Republic in the Russian Federation and the citizens of the Russian Federation in the Kirghiz Republic. The Protocol contains rules other than those envisaged in the Russian legislation. For example, according to Item 5 of Article 1 of the Protocol, it is prohibited to employ workers younger than 18 years of age on the territory of the accepting state.

Federal Law No. 2-FZ of January 3, 2006 on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on Employment and Protection of Rights of Citizens of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Tajikistan and Citizens of the Republic of Tajikistan in the Russian Federation

Ratifies the Agreement signed in Dushanbe on October 16, 2004. The goal of the Agreement is simplification of employment procedures for the citizens of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Tajikistan and citizens of the Republic of Tajikistan in the Russian Federation.

Federal Law No. 1-FZ of January 3, 2006 on the Ratification of the Protocol on the Termination of the Agreement on the Creation of the Eurasia Interstate Association of Coal and Metal of September 24, 1993

Ratifies the Protocol signed in Yalta on September 19, 2003. Since the Eurasia Interstate Association failed to fulfil its tasks, as well as taking into account the results of revision of its financial and economic activities carried out in 2000, the council of CIS member-states adopted a decision on October 7, 2002 dissolving the Association. The Protocol has entered into force in Armenia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Tajikistan and Ukraine already.

Federal Law No. 211-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Military Duty and Military Service and Article 3 of the Federal Law on the Alternative Civil Service

The authority of initial registration for military purposes is handed over from commissions created in the military commissariats to commissions in charge of registration of citizens for military purposes created in municipal regions, urban districts and intracity territories of the cities of federal significance by the decision of the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation (head of the higher executive body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation) at the presentation of the military commissar of the subject of the Russian Federation.

The call up to the military service for the citizens other than those in the reserve shall be arranged by military commissariats (earlier, military commissars) and implemented by the draft commissions created in the municipal regions, urban districts and intracity territories of the cities of federal significance by the decision of the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation (head of the higher executive body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation) at the presentation of the military commissar of the subject of the Russian Federation.

Decision to send to the alternative civil service is also taken by such commission (earlier, the draft commission of the military commissariat).

Federal Law is entered into force from January 1, 2006.

Federal Law No. 210-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to the City Planning Code of the Russian Federation

The City Planning Code of the Russian Federation shall also apply to relations in capital repair affecting design and other characteristics of reliability and safety of objects of capital construction.

The sphere of reference of the City Planning Code shall not include land plots provided for extraction of mineral resources.

The Law specifies the requirements to the drawing up of the results of engineering surveys for preparation of design documentation, construction, reconstruction of objects of capital construction. The results of engineering surveys are subject to the state expert evaluation. The state expert evaluation of the results of engineering surveys does not apply when engineering surveys were carried out to prepare design documentation for objects of personal housing construction, as well as when there is not need to obtain a permission for construction, reconstruction, capital repair.

Preparation of design documentation is not necessary for construction, reconstruction, capital repair of separately standing buildings, not more than three storeys high, intended for one family. Preparation of design documentation at the initiative of the construction party or the client may be carried out on individual stages of construction, reconstruction of objects of capital construction.

The Federal Law is entered into force from January 1, 2006.

Federal Law No. 209-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the State Regulation of Production and Circulation of Ethyl Alcohol, Alcoholic and Alcohol-Containing Products and on Invalidation of Individual Provisions of the Federal Law on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the State Regulation of Production and Circulation of Ethyl Alcohol, Alcoholic and Alcohol-Containing Products

The sphere of reference of the bodies of state power of the Russian Federation includes defining the procedure of submission of information on the volumes of retail trade of alcoholic products to the federal body of executive power in charge of interindustry coordination and functional regulation in the sphere of state statistics. The Government of the Russian Federation is entitled to define the list of the types of the main technological equipment for production and distribution of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products.

The amendments are also introduced in the procedure of labelling of alcoholic products. The Law expands the list of documents to be submitted to the authorised state body or the customs body to purchase the special federal stamps or excise duty stamps. Now, the packet of documents includes copies of certificates of compliance of the technical means of registration and transfer of information on the volumes of production and circulation of alcoholic products in the joint state automatic information system; a copy of the contract for supplies of alcoholic products; confirmation of the legal use of the trade-mark protected in the Russian Federation on the alcoholic products; as well as an obligation to use the purchased stamps according to their destination.

The Law lists information on the labelled alcoholic products that must be available in the special federal and excise duty stamps.

Circulation of alcoholic products labelled before December 31, 2005 according to established procedure is permitted until June 30, 2006 inclusive. Import to the customs territory of the Russian Federation of alcoholic products labelled with excise duty stamps issued before December 31, 2005 is permitted until March 31, 2006 inclusive, as well as the distribution of alcoholic products - until June 30, 2006 inclusive.

The Federal Law is entered into force from December 31, 2005.

Federal Law No. 208-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendment to Article 81 of the Federal Law on Joint-Stock Companies

The procedure of committing transactions with interest specified in Chapter XI of the Federal Law No. 208-FZ of December 26, 1995 on joint-stock companies now does not include the ones obligatory for the joint-stock company in compliance with the federal laws and/or other normative acts of the Russian Federation where the payments are made using fixed prices and tariff rates specified by the bodies in charge of the state regulation of prices and tariff rates. The amendment is stipulated by the fact that in the mentioned circumstances, the presence of interest in committing the transaction by the joint-stock company does not affect the decision on it and the price used in the payments.

Federal Law No. 207-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Placing of Orders for Supplies of Commodities, Carrying out Works, Rendering Services for the State and Municipal Needs

Removes individual technical inaccuracies available in the norms defining the requirements to the content of applications for participation in auction, contest and preliminary selection, as well as defining the cases of placing the order with a single source.

The contest for the order for state or municipal needs and the summing up of its results shall be arranged according to the procedure that was available before the entry into force of the Federal Law No. 94-FZ of July 21, 2005 on the placing of orders for supplies of commodities, carrying out works and rendering services for the state and municipal needs if the notification of the contest has been published before January 1, 2006.

The Federal Law is entered into force from December 31, 2005.

Federal Law No. 206-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the Entry into Force of the City Planning Code of the Russian Federation and Some Other Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on Issues of Improvement of City Planning Activities

The amendments refine the requirements to the land plots granted for construction, state registration of the rights of objects of unfinished construction and objects that do not require permission for construction, procedure of issue of the permission for construction and of state construction enforcement.

Shifts from January 1, 2006 to January 1, 2008 the time limit for the entry into force of Part 6 of Article 45 of the City Planning Code prohibiting to prepare territory design documentation in the absence of territorial planning documentation, except for the cases of cadastral survey projects in built-up areas and city-planning projects for the land plots to applications of natural persons or legal entities.

Provisions of the City Planning Code of the Russian Federation No. 73-FZ of May 7, 1998 pertaining to the state expert evaluation of design documentation and the state construction enforcement are invalidated.

The Federal Law is entered into force from December 31, 2005.

Federal Law of the Russian Federation No. 205-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to Individual Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on Taxes and Fees

Since the payment for the use of water objects is abandoned, and the water tax is introduced on the territory of the Russian Federation from January 1, 2005, refines the list of taxes and fees paid by the investor in a product-sharing agreement.

The subjects of the Russian Federation, when handing over the authority in individual issues of local significance to representative bodies of municipal regions, are empowered with the right not to hand over the authority to fix local taxes obligatory for payment on the territories of the newly formed residential settlements forming part of the appropriate municipal region. The land tax and the property tax from natural persons in this case is specified by representative bodies of residential settlements.

Until January 1, 2007, on the territories of the newly formed municipal formations where representative bodies did not adopt before December 1, 2005 normative legal acts on the land tax and the property tax from natural persons, normative legal acts on the mentioned taxes shall apply adopted by representative bodies of municipal formations having executed earlier the authority in issues of local significance.

The Federal Law is entered into force one month after the day of its official publication with exceptions.

Federal Law No. 204-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to Articles 147 and 388 of the Customs Code of the Russian Federation

The amendments specify the federal body of executive power authorised to issue qualification certificates of specialists of customs registration. This body is the Federal Customs Service of Russia.

The Federal Customs Service of Russia is also empowered with authority permitting to implement the function of metrological support of activities of the customs bodies.

The Federal Law is entered into force 30 days after the day of its official publication.

Federal Law No. 203-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to Article 19 of the Federal Law on the General Principles of Organisation of Legislative (Representative) and Executive Bodies of State Power of the Subjects of the Russian Federation

According to the amendments, the authority of the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation (head of the higher executive body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation) in case of his death is terminated by the fact of the death, which does not require an appropriate presentation of the President of the Russian Federation and decision of the legislative body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation.

In this case, the President of the Russian Federation may assign an acting higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation (head of the higher executive body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation) for the period until the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation is empowered with appropriate authority.

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

Federal Law No. 202-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to Article 18 of the Federal Law on the General Principles of Organisation of Legislative (Representative) and Executive Bodies of State Power of the Subjects of the Russian Federation and to the Federal Law on Political Parties

Political party whose list of candidates as a result of elections to the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation was permitted to distribute deputy mandates and obtained the greatest number of deputy mandates upon distribution may initiate consideration by the mentioned body of the proposal to the President of the Russian Federation on the candidate for the higher official (head of the higher executive body of state power) of the subject of the Russian Federation.

The proposal of the political party must be examined by the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation on the obligatory basis and in case of approval of this proposal by the majority of votes from elected deputies is sent to the President of the Russian Federation.

Federal Law No. 201-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to Chapter 25.3 of Part 2 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law on Invalidation of Some of the Legislative Acts (Provisions of Legislative Acts) of the Russian Federation and on Amendments to Some of the Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation Pursuant to Abolishment of the Tax on the Property Handed over According to Inheritance or Donation Procedure

The amendments to Chapter 25.3 "State Duty" of the Tax Code specifies in detail the procedure of assessment of the cost of property when drawing up inheritance, of payment of the state duty for the actions when obtaining the citizenship of the Russian Federation or expatriating from the Russian Federation. Thus, for the heritage opened before January 1, 2006 where the certificate of the right of inheritance is issued before January 1, 2006, the tax on the inherited or donated property is collected according to the earlier available procedure. If the certificate for the right of inheritance is issued after January 1, 2006, such tax is not collected.

The Law refines the particulars of payment of the state duty for the notary actions certifying the contracts due for assessment. To calculate the state duty, the payer may choose the document showing inventory, market, cadastral or another (nominal) cost of the property issued by organisations (bodies) or assessment specialists (experts). Notaries and officials committing notary actions may not define the type of the cost of property (method of assessment) for the purposes of calculation of the state duty and demand from the payer the document confirming the given type of the cost of property (method of assessment). If there are several documents showing different cost of property, the lowest of the mentioned costs of property is taken into account for the calculation of the amount of state duty.

The state registration of transport vehicles and other registration actions pertaining to issue of a certificate for the transport vehicle imported to the Russian Federation for up to six months is charged with the state duty in the amount of Rbl 100.

The charge for the registration of a foreign citizen in the Russian Federation at the place of residence or place of stay makes Rbl 1 per day of stay on the territory of the Russian Federation, however, not greater than Rbl 200.

The Law defines the procedure of return of the paid state duty.

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

Federal Law No. 200-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to Article 18 of the Federal Law on the Licensing of Individual Types of Activities

According to the amendments, the licensing of audit and assessment activities is preserved until July 1, 2006. Earlier, the licensing of the mentioned types of activities must have been terminated on January 1, 2006.

The given time limit is extended because the licensing of the mentioned types of activities is connected to the switchover to the system of self-regulation through creation of self-regulating organisations of assessors and auditors, which is not completed at the moment.

Federal Law No. 199-FZ of December 31, 2005 on the Amendments to Individual Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation Pertaining to Refinement of Delimitation of Authority

The amendments are aimed at improvement of the legislation in the sphere of delimitation of authority between the bodies of state power of the Russian Federation, bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation and the bodies of local government.

Amendments to the Federal Law No. 184-FZ of October 6, 1999 on the general principles of organisation of legislative (representative) and executive bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation refine the procedure of transfer (delegation) to the subjects of the Russian Federation of individual authority in the common sphere of reference, including the one implemented at the expense of subventions from the federal budget. The federal bodies of state power preserve the functions of control and enforcement of the implementation of transferred authority. The bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation may enjoy the right of participation in implementation of the authority in the sphere of reference of the Russian Federation at the expense of resources of the own budget. There are cases when executive bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation may implement individual authority of the Russian Federation in the common sphere of reference.

The Law refines the authority of the bodies of state power of the Russian Federation and the bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation in the sphere of employment of population, education and culture, veterinary, protection of public health, regulation of tariff rates for electric and thermal power, natural monopolies, science and state scientific and technical policy, mobilisation training and mobilisation, registration for military purposes, calling to military service, sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population, ecological safety and protection of atmospheric air, organisation of local government, as well as the sphere of administrative law, forestry and water use, housing relations. The amendments envisage a transfer to the bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation of a significant part of appropriate authority or opportunities of participation in implementation of individual authority of the Russian Federation in the common sphere of reference. < br>
The bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation may introduce additional measures of tied social support for individual categories of citizens regardless of availability in the federal laws of provisions specifying the mentioned right. The Law expands the list of issues of local significance and authority of the bodies of local government.

The Federal Law is entered into force from January 1, 2006 with exceptions.

Federal Law No. 198-FZ of December 27, 2005 on the Amendments to the Budget Code of the Russian Federation, Federal Law on the Amendments to the Budget Code of the Russian Federation Pertaining to Regulation of Inter-Budget Relations and the Federal Law on the General Principles of Organisation of Local Government in the Russian Federation

The amendments define the procedure of replacing of grants from the regional fund of financial support of residential settlements, regional fund of financial support of municipal regions (urban districts) and the regional fund of financial support of residential settlements with additional normatives of deductions from the federal and regional taxes and fees due for transfer to the appropriate local budgets.

The Audit Chamber and the Federal Service of Financial and Budget Enforcement may arrange checks of the budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation and local budgets receiving inter-budget transfers from the federal budget. Control body created by the legislative (representative) body of the subject of the Russian Federation, financial body of the subject of the Russian Federation and/or another authorised body may arrange checks of local budgets receiving inter-budget transfers from the budget of the subject of the Russian Federation.

The Federal Law is entered into force from January 1, 2006 with exceptions.

Federal Law No. 197-FZ of December 27, 2005 on the Amendments to the Budget Code of the Russian Federation, Code of Civil Procedures of the Russian Federation, Code of Arbitration Procedures of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law on Executive Proceedings

The Federal Law is aimed at improvement of the normative and legal basis of execution of court rulings in lawsuits against the Treasury, bodies of state power and bodies of local government. Earlier, the Constitutional Court recognised as not complying with the Constitution of the Russian Federation the norm empowering the Government of the Russian Federation with the authority in regulation of relations pertaining to execution of judicial acts envisaging collection of resources from the budgets of the budget system of the Russian Federation. The amendments envisage a procedure of execution of judicial acts in lawsuits against the Russian Federation, subject of the Russian Federation, municipal formation to reimburse the damage incurred on the citizen or legal entity as a result of illegal actions (failure to act) of the state bodies, bodies of local government or officials of these bodies, as well as judicial acts envisaging collection of resources of the budgets of the budget system of the Russian Federatio n under monetary obligations of budget-supported institutions.

Judicial acts unexecuted in the mentioned lawsuits and received in the Ministry of Finance of Russia must be executed according to the new requirements within three months from the day of entry into force of the Federal Law.

The Federal Law is entered into force from January 1, 2006.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 824 of December 29, 2005 on the Measures to Protect Economic Interests of Russian Producers of Some Types of Steel Pipes

Introduces for 5 years differentiated anti-dumping duties for imported casing, bearing, tubing, oil and gas and boiler pipes originating in the Ukraine. The minimum amount of the duty is envisaged for oil and gas pipes - 8.9% of the customs cost, the maximum - for bearing pipes - 55.3% 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. 822 of December 28, 2005 on the Endorsement of the General Requirements to the Closure of Consumer Containers of Alcoholic Products Providing for Visual Control of the Fact of Opening

Visual determination of the fact of opening of consumer containers of alcoholic products is possible in cases of destruction (rupture), deformation and breaking of integrity of various fitments.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 820 of December 28, 2005 on the Interim Rates of Import Customs Duties for Individual Types of Groundnuts

Introduces for 9 months an import rate of the customs duty for sowing, hulled, whether or not split, groundnuts in the amount of 0% of the customs cost (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. 814 of December 28, 2005 on the Interim Rate of Import Customs Duty for Non-Roasted Coffee

Arabica, robust and other non-roasted coffee (with or without caffeine) shall be imported at the rate equal to zero. The given rate is introduced for 9 months. Earlier, the rate was fixed in the amount of 5% of the customs cost also 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. 813 of December 28, 2005 on the Transfer of Days-off in 2006

In 2006, two transfers of days-off are expected: from Sunday of February 26 to Friday of February 24 and from Saturday of May 6 to Monday of May 8.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 810 of December 26, 2005 on the Amendments to the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 883 of December 11, 2002 on the Endorsement of the Regulation on the Processing or Destruction of Ethyl Alcohol, Alcoholic or Alcohol-Containing Products Removed from Illegal Circulation or Confiscated

The norm defining the sphere of application of the mentioned Regulation now does not include the phrase stating that ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products withdrawn or confiscated must fail to comply with the state standards and technical regulations. At present, only the mentioned products must be processed or destroyed, i.e. failing to comply with the requirements of technical regulations.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 808 of December 26, 2005 on the Procedure and Amounts of Paying out of Monetary Compensations Replacing the Annual Sanatorium and Resort Treatment and Organised Leisure and Replacing the Free Travel to the Place of Spending of the Main Leave and Back, As Well As of Paying out of a Mark-up for the Special Conditions of Combat Training to Contract Servicemen of Military Units of Permanent Readiness

The mentioned servicemen admitted after January 1, 2004 may get the following monetary compensations: replacing the annual sanatorium and resort treatment and organised leisure - in the amount of Rbl 600 per serviceman and Rbl 300 per spouse and each underage child; replacing free travel to the place of spending of the main leave and back - in the amount of actual expenses.

The Decision is entered into force from January 1, 2006.

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 806 of December 26, 2005 on the Endorsement of the Rules of Working out of the Forecast (Program) of Privatisation of Federal Property and on Amendments to the Rules of Decision Making on the Terms of Privatisation of Federal Property

Defines the structure, content, procedure and time limits of working out of the forecast (program) of privatisation of federal property in the current year, as well as the procedure and time limits of examination of the results of implementation of the program for the reported year.

The program consists of two sections. The first section contains the main directions and tasks of privatisation of federal property, the forecast of impact of privatisation on the structural changes in the economy, description of major objects of privatisation and the forecasted volumes of receipts in the federal budget in case of sale of the federal property. The second section of the program contains the lists of the federal property scheduled for privatisation in the subsequent year and some other information.

The Government of the Russian Federation shall endorse the program no later than August 25 of the current year.

Direction of the Central Bank of Russia No. 1646-U of December 26, 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

Pursuant to the entry into force from February 20, 2006 of the Instruction of the Bank of Russia No. 124-I of July 15, 2005, provides a new wording for the reporting form 0409634 "Report of Open Currency Positions" and the procedure of its drawing up and submission. The form of the report shall register an excess of limits of open currency positions in percent of own resources (capital) and their control values.

The report shall be submitted in decades (with a breakdown by each working day of the decade) by credit organisations without branches - no later than the third working day of the decade following the reported one; by credit organisations possessing branches - no later than the forth working day of the decade following the reported one. The report is also submitted on the monthly basis (as of the first of the month following the reported one) no later than the 5th and the 6th working day of the month following the reported one respectively.

Major credit organisations with a broad network of divisions shall submit the report no later than the 10th working day of the decade following the reported one.

The Direction is entered into force from February 20, 2006.

Direction of the Central Bank of Russia No. 1635-U of November 29, 2005 on the Procedure for Sending Requests and Getting Information from the Central Catalogue of Credit Histories by the Credit History Subject and Credit History User When Applying to the Credit History Bureau

Defines the procedure of sending by credit history subjects (users) of requests to the Central Catalogue of Credit Histories without using the credit history subject code (additional code) for information on the credit history bureau keeping the credit history of the credit history subject and getting information from the Central Catalogue of Credit Histories when applying to the credit history bureau.

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 December 28, 2005. Reg. No. 7326.

Letter of the Department of the Tax and Customs Tariff Policy of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 03-02-07/1-317 of November 23, 2005

Explains that the five-day time limit specified in Item 1 of Article 93 of the Tax Code stating that the taxpayer must present requested documents at the demand of the tax body is calculated in calendar days.