The Russian State Duma, seen across the construction site where the Hotel Moskva once stood
Photo: Michail Galustov
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The Duma Gets More Expensive
The State Duma Budget Committee has approved expenses for the Duma next year at a level of 5.2 billion rubles. Of that amount almost a million rubles ($38,000) per month will go to MPs. The cost of the 450 parliamentarians has risen by 65 percent in the last three years, from 7.02 million rubles to 11.6 million rubles annually, which the opposition attributes to lax oversight and a nontransparent system for ordering goods and services there.
The biggest expense, 906 million rubles, for the maintenance of the Duma remains salaries for legislators and their staffs. That is followed by “transportation services.” It will cost 892 million rubles to shuttle the Duma members around next year. Most of that money goes for the maintenance of Duma's car fleet. The 13 BWM 735i's used by the deputy speakers and faction leaders require 2.85 million rubles ($110,000), and the 15 Audi A6's of the committee chairmen take 1.95 million rubles ($75,000). The most expensive vehicles, at 3.25 million rubles ($125,000), are the Russian-made Gazels that provide on-call service. There are also 235 trips to Europe, 40 trips to Asia, 15 each to the United States and Latin America and 10 to Africa budgeted.
Property maintenance will cost 558 million rubles. Communications will cost 17 million rubles, that is 5500 rubles per month per member. the Duma is also expected to consume one ton of paper per day. Virus protection for the computers (DrWeb) will take 4.8 million rubles, maintaining the aquarium will set the Duma back 93,000 rubles, and 200,000 rubles have been set aside for funerary services.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of July 03, 2007
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