Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 6.04.2006

Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 189 of April 3, 2006 on the Endorsement of the Rates of the Export Customs Duties for Commodities of Oil Exported from the Territory of the Russian Federation outside the Member-States of the Customs Union Agreements

The rate of the export customs duty for propane, butanes, ethylene, propylene, butylene, butadiene, other liquefied gases, xylenes, light and medium distillates, gas oils, benzene and toluene is increased from USD 120.7 to USD 137.9 per ton. The rate of the export customs duty for lubricants, liquid fuels, spent oil products, petrolatum, paraffin, wax, bitumen and coke is increased form USD 65 to USD 74.3 per ton.

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

Letter of the Federal Service of Enforcement in the Sphere of Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Well-Being No. 0100/3267-06-23 of March 25, 2006 on the Import and Sale of Alcoholic Products

Reports major violations of the requirements of the state sanitary and epidemiological rules and normatives of safety of alcoholic products and wine materials received from Georgia and Moldavia. According to the Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Enforcement, the mentioned countries use pesticides, including those of class 2 and 3 hazards, in production of grapes used for making wine and wine materials. However, when these wines are sold in Russia, there is no information that must presented by its producers (supplier) on the pesticides used in their production.

Since these facts show a high degree of danger to the life and health of consumers of the above products, the sanitary and epidemiological statements for Georgian and Moldavian wines and wine materials are suspended from March 27 of 2006.

Letter of the Central Bank of Russia No. 25-T of February 20, 2006 on the Application of Chapter 4 of the Instruction of the Bank of Russia No. 124-I of July 15, 2005 on the Amounts (Limits) of Open Currency Positions, Method of Their Calculation and Particulars of Enforcement of Their Observation by Credit Organisations

Explains the terms to demand information on the amounts (limits) of open currency positions for individual foreign currencies and individual precious metals as of the intra-month date (dates). Territorial institutions of the Bank of Russia may demand from the credit organisation to present reports as of the intra-month date, if the limits of open currency positions for individual currencies and individual precious metals are violated by the credit organisation on any of the reporting dates, if the results of analysis of the financial standing of the credit organisation show that there are reasons to apply measures of prevention of insolvency (bankruptcy) to it, when the bank's financial stability is recognised insufficient for participation in the deposit insurance system, or the credit organisation may not be recognised as financially stable according to the method of assessment of financial stability of credit organisations defined by the Bank of Russia.

In other cases, the demand to present information on the limits of open currency positions as of the intra-month date to the credit organisation may be considered by the Bank of Russia on the basis of the request of the territorial institution of the Bank of Russia.