MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/. The proposal on the possibility of withdrawing excess revenues from large companies has not yet been approved, it is discussed at an expert level, including the Russian Government, Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.
"We expect that after elaboration of this proposal in the government, position of the head of state will be formulated," he said. "So far, no position has been formed," Peskov added.
Peskov recalled that the proposal was an expert point of view of Aide to the Russian President Andrey Belousov. "The president agreed that this point of view can and should be worked out in the government, including market participants," Peskov said. "The president is extremely careful about such issues and supports careful study of all possible consequences, possible effect for the market and for the industry before making a decision," he added.
Peskov added that the Kremlin considers improper to identify an idea of collecting excess revenues of companies as introduction of a progressive tax scale.
The idea to withdraw 513.7 bln rubles ($7.68 bln) from the metallurgical and chemical companies from their additional revenues was previously proposed by Andrey Belousov in a letter to Vladimir Putin. Accoridng to Belousov, the money can be spent on the implementation of the May presidential decree.
The list of companies includes NLMK, Severstal, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, Mechel, Metalloinvest, Evraz, Norilsk Nickel, Alrosa, Polyus, Sibur, Uralkali, Phosagro and others.