MOSCOW, November 2 (Itar-Tass) —— The leader of the Patriots of Russia party, Gennady Semigin, has suggested raising sharply the taxes of enterprises producing mineral resources. He was speaking at a news conference in Moscow devoted to the party’s participation in the forthcoming December 4 elections to the State Duma.
Semigin believes that for the development of the country it is necessary to redistribute national wealth.
Now, according to his estimates, the national wealth is in the hands of 500 families, while the other people have to survive on indexations.
But the redistribution of wealth, Semigin said, does not mean property confiscation. As an example, he mentioned Norwegian tax legislation, which, establishes a 90-percent tax on businessmen who own oil wells.
“We should introduce a tax of 70 percent to 90 percent. Anyway, no less than 50 percent,” Semigin said. But the rate, he believes, must depend on the specific industry.
“There must be a special rate for oil, a special one for gold, and a special one for diamonds,” he said.
Semigin declared that his party had formulated its national idea – Justice for all, Happiness for Each.
Semigin said that economic reforms cannot proceed separately from the political ones.
The Patriots of Russia are for the introduction of the electivity of governors and mayors and for electing the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly in single mandate constituencies.
“While the State Duma deputies are elected on party tickets, the Federation Council should be elected in single-mandate constituencies,” he said.
In the State Duma elections on December 4 the party, according to its leader, hopes to get 5 percent to 7.5 percent of the votes. Semigin is optimistically-minded.
“In 2010 we increased the number of our deputies in the regional legislative assemblies 40 times,” he recalled.