MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. The Russian authorities expect to receive about 300 billion rubles ($3.9 bln) as part of contribution from business, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Thursday. He was speaking at the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

"There were different estimates. We discussed it not in billions, but in large volumes. But during the discussion with the business, we agreed that it would be about 300 billion rubles," he said. He added that contribution above this amount will be welcomed.

The Minister recalled that oil and gas and coal companies, as well as companies with pre-tax profits of less than 1 billion rubles ($13 mln) will not pay a one-time contribution to the budget.

The rate of a one-time business contribution to Russia’s federal budget will be determined in April, after the companies submit income tax returns.

Earlier, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov said that the government is discussing a voluntary one-time contribution to the budget with big business.

The Bell publication (recognized as a foreign agent in Russia) reported citing sources that the government offered businesses to make a one-time payment to the budget in the amount of 200-250 billion rubles ($2.6-3.2 bln), and business instead offered to increase income tax by 0.5 percentage points for 2023 - up to 20.5%. Belousov did not name the amount of the fee.

"How this money will be used? To build infrastructure, roads, healthcare, wages to state employees. All this money will eventually return to business. All the resources that we collect, in fact, will return to our entrepreneurs. There is no need to spare money for this. We should gladly accept this decision and move forward," the Finance Minister said.