MOSCOW, June 6 (Itar-Tass) — The State Duma will debate the issues of the tariff policy, the development of the Russian language and the control over the expenses of public servants.
The deputies intend at a governmental question-and-answer session to attend to a report of head of the Federal Service for Tariffs Sergei Novikov. State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin stated that the lower house of Russian parliament has very many questions to him, because the lawmakers are well aware of the situation, which emerged as a result of their communication with voters in the regions. “There are some questions over the tariffs for the services of natural monopolies and the tariffs in the housing and public utilities sector,” Naryshkin noted. The State Duma speaker noted that the State Duma also hopes to get the information, when the tariffs for the services in the housing and public utilities sector will be calculated for a medium-term prospective, “at least for three years.”
Among the main items on the agenda is a presidential bill for the control over the expenses of public servants under the program for the struggle against corruption. This issue should have been debated back on Tuesday, but it as many other issues, was dropped from the agenda due to the approval of a high publicized law on fines for violations at rallies.
The bill envisages that “people holding public posts in Russian federal constituents, public posts in municipal authorities, posts in the federal state service, state service in Russian regions and working at some posts in the organizations, which were established for the fulfilment of state functions (state corporations, pension funds and others), are to declare their expenses, the expenses of their wives (husbands) and underage children.” This is the expenses for the purchase of land and other types of real estate, vehicles, securities and shares. But the most important thing is that they should provide the information about the sources of their incomes. Those who do not fulfil this rule will be fired as offenders and the property, which was not proved to be bought on legal incomes, will be passed in the state possession under the court verdict.
High on the agenda is a draft statement on the occasion of the celebrations on Russian Language Day, in which the deputies voiced concerns over the attitude to the Russian language in Russia and other countries. The lower chamber intends to draw attention of the Russian government, regional authorities and the whole Russian society to the need for the strict execution of the legislation on Russian language, the support, preservation, spreading and build-up of its positions in the world.