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FC to hear CB chief and examine anti-tobacco bill Wed

The agenda of the session also includes several other items

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, February 20 (Itar-Tass) - The Federation Council (FC) upper house of the Russian parliament, at a plenary sessio here on Wednesday, will consider matters concerning approval of the anti-tobacco bill and a bill on extending for two years the period for a free privatization of housing. The agenda of the session also includes several other items.

Within the framework of the Government Hour question-and-answer session, the FC members will hear a report by Sergei Ignatyev, Head of the Central Bank (CB) of Russia. The report will deal with reviewing the implementation of the Federal law "On National Payment System". In line with the rules of procedure, the House members will have an opportunity to the Chairman of the Bank of Russia some questions. Yevgeny Bushmin, chairman of the House committee on the budget and financial markets, has warned that the parliamentarians during a meeting with Ignatyev intend to touch upon a somewhat broader range of questions concerning the CB activities than the declared theme of the report presupposes.

The legislative part of the sessin's agenda provides for the consideration of bills on the imposition of fines for employers' refusal to create jobs for the disabled in accordance with the approved quotas, on an increase in fines for the passing of mobile phones and other prohibited objects to investigative isolation wards and prison camps, and on confiscation of illegal amber production gear, and and other bills.

The international segment of the agenda envisages ratificaiton of the Agreement on the conduct of automobile inspections at the outer boundary of the Customs Union (CU). The document sets out conditions for the transfer of transport control procedures from the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan borders to the outer boundary of the CU.

The House members are also to consider an item about re-appointment of Tatiana Andreyeva, Deputy Head of the Supreme Arbitration Court, for another term.

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