Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 8.08.2006

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 842 of August 4, 2006 on the Procedure for Forming Public Councils under the Federal Ministries, Federal Services and Federal Agencies Directed by the President of the Russian Federation, and under the Federal Services and Federal Agencies Being under the Jurisdiction of These Federal Ministries

These public councils are formed under Article 20 of the Federal Law on the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. Public councils may be set up by the heads of relevant federal executive governmental bodies on the proposal of the council of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. A council is set up within two months after a notice to this effect is sent by the head to the council of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.The powers and procedure for the operation of a public council, and also the procedure for the formation thereof are defined by regulations confirmed by a legal act of the relevant federal executive governmental body.The persons which cannot be members of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation cannot become members of the public councils. The members of a public council shall serve on a voluntary basis.

Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 763 of July 25, 2006 on the Allowance of Money for Federal State Civil Servants

Rates are set for monthly salaries and monthly monetary incentives for all categories of federal state civil servants in compliance with the federal state civil service offices they occupy, as well as the rank pay, effective from August 1, 2006.Thus, the official salary of 7,200 roubles and the monthly monetary incentive of 14-fold salary are set for Head of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the official salary of 6,450 roubles and the monthly monetary incentive of 13.6-fold salary for an Assistant to the President, the salary of 3,800 roubles and the monetary incentive of 2.5-fold salary for a leading specialist of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation.No monthly monetary incentive is set or paid to the federal state civil servants occupying federal state civil service offices in a state body located abroad.A monthly extra pay on top of official salary is established for special civil service conditions depending on the group of positions: from 150 to 200% of salary for the top group of civil service positions, and up to 60% for the lowest group. Amendments are made to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the Procedure for Conferring and Preserving Diplomatic Ranks and on the Procedure for Setting a Monthly Diplomatic Rank Pay in Addition to Official Salary whereby the diplomatic rank pay that existed as a monthly official salary mark-up is made an independent monthly diplomatic rank salary which together with official salary makes up the monthly allowance of money of a diplomat.The Decree enters into force as of August 1, 2006.

Order of the Federal Service on Tariffs No. 168-e/3 of August 1, 2006 on Endorsing Caps on the Maximum Admissible Variation in Tariffs for the Goods and Services of Utility Organisations with Account Taken of Mark-ups for Tariffs for Goods and Services of Utility Organisations, Caps on Indices of Variation in Citizens' Payment for Residential Premises and Caps on Indices of Variation in Citizens' Payment for Utility Services, and Also Caps on Tariff Levels for Thermal Energy Save the One Produced by the Power Plants Generating Both Electric and Thermal Energy for the Year 2007

Caps are established on admissible variation in tariffs for the goods and services of utility organisations with account taken of mark-ups for the said tariffs on the average for subjects of the Russian Federation for the Year 2007 for Kursk Region (113.5%), Tula Region (113.3%), Pskov Region (112.0%), Republic of Ingushetia (112.0%), Karachai-Cherkess Republic (112.7%), Chechen Republic (110.0%), Chuvashia (108.0%), Buryatia (106.5%), Altai Kray (110.0%), Yakutia (111.0%) and Maritime Kray (110.0%).Caps on tariff levels for thermal energy except for the one produced by the power plants generating both electric and thermal energy on the average for subjects of the Russian Federation are established on the level determined on the basis of the maximum growth for the Year 2007 and the average tariff for the subject calculated on the basis of the tariffs effective for the said organisations as of December 31, 2006.Given the unchanged set and scope of services provided, caps are established on the variation in citizens' payment for residential premises and on the rate of citizens' payment for utility services with account taken of the ratio of the payment to the costs of housing maintenance and repair and the costs of provision of utility services for the said subjects of the Russian Federation.Registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, registration No. 8137 of August 3, 2006.

Order of the Federal Service on Tariffs No. 166-e/1 of August 1, 2006 on Caps on Electric and Thermal Energy Tariffs for the Year 2007

Caps are established on the minimum and maximum levels of tariffs for the electric energy supplied to consumers, on the average for the subject of the Russian Federation, without differentiating by the group of consumers, voltage level, annual duration of using a declared power rating, zone (hours of the day) and calendar breakdown for the Year 2007.Also caps are set, taking effect in 2007, on the minimum and maximum tariff levels for the thermal energy produced by the power plants generating both electric and thermal energy, on the average for the subject of the Russian Federation, without differentiating by the group of consumers, type of heat carrier, steam parameters, centralised heat-supply system and calendar breakdown.Apart from that, caps are imposed on the minimum and maximum tariff levels for electrical energy supplied to the public in centralised and decentralised power-supply zones for the subject of the Russian Federation for the Year 2007.Tariffs for the electricity supplied to the public as exceeding the set social power consumption quantities have to be set at economically-substantiated levels.Registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, registration No. 8136 of August 3, 2006.