Direct Speech
Viktor Zubkov’s Political Credo
On President Putin
“Is there an alternative to our president? There’s none now. So, we should try hard to help him.” At a session of the Valdai discussion club, September 2004
On income tax
“The introduction of the flat income tax rate is a temporary step. We must not equalize those with the annual income of 30,000 rubles and those who earn ten times as much. It’s not fair. We undoubtedly need to introduce two rates – the bottom one (12 to 13 percent) and the top one (about 20 percent).” A news conference, August 2000
On claims against foreign banks
“We have claims against banks which are headquartered outside Russia and have correspondent accounts in several banks down here. With the help of our counterparts from the countries whose banks have accounts in Russia we are carefully considering financial information that we find suspicious. And we find it suspicious in terms of money laundering.” An interview with the
NTV television, October 6, 2005
On amnesty of capital
“We could probably discuss some kind of amnesty for people because not all money is criminal. Perhaps people moved their money there because of loopholes in law. Maybe with some conditions – like paying a tax – we could let this money be reinvested in some sort of production.” An interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio, January 22, 2003
On ways to tackle the financial crisis
“Several shops raised prices on imported electronic goods. We have recorded these cases and warned directors that we are going to come and check all their papers for the past three years and eight months.” August 19, 1998
On ways to solve the Chechnya issue
“This use of force will kill all our people. I believe that we must consider the question [on Chechnya’s secession], make the real border and then deal with other problems.” At TV debates, September 9, 1999
On migrants
“Some 17 million people come from Asia and Africa to Russia every year. This is the breeding ground for different kinds of murky dealings which make money which goes on to finance such things as international terrorism.” At a meeting, February 10, 2004
On ready money
“What is ready money? This is the money that is taken to an unknown direction but we know what for – to bribe officials and criminals.” An interview with the
Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily, October 20, 2006
Profile
Viktor Alexeevich Zubkov
Viktor Zubkov was born on September 15, 1941 in the village of Arbat, Sverdlovsk Region in the southern Urals. From 1958 to 1960, he worked as a fitter in the Monchegorsky repair and engineering works in
Murmansk Region. In 1965, he graduated from Leningrad Agriculture Institute in economics. After military service he went to work on collective farms in Leningrad region in 1967. He served as a department director and deputy director at the Krasnaya Slavyanka farm, director at Razdolye and director general at the Pervomaiskoye farm union. In 1985, he took over the regional administration of the Priozersky district in Leningrad Region and later served as first secretary of the city committee of the Communist Party and chief of the agriculture and food industry department in the Leningrad regional party’s committee. From 1989 to 1991, he worked as first deputy chairman of the Leningrad Regional Executive Committee of the Communist Party while future Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Yarov was the chairman.
From January 1992 to November 1993, he worked in the foreign economic department of St. Petersburg administration as deputy to its chairman Vladimir Putin. Media reported that he helped Vladimir Putin and some of his friends to buy small land plots in Priozersky district outside St. Petersburg where the Ozero dacha development was founded. In November 1993, Viktor Zubkov was appointed deputy director of the
Federal Tax Service and chief tax inspector for St. Petersburg. From July 1999 to November 2001, he was Deputy Tax Minister and head of the ministry’s tax service for St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region. He unsuccessfully tried to win election as governor of Leningrad region in 1999. Boris Gryzlov headed his election campaign. Viktor Zubkov came in fourth, mustering 8.64 percent of the vote.
In November 2001, he was appointed First
Deputy Finance Minister and head of the financial monitoring committee at the
Finance Ministry. Mr. Zubkov headed the Federal Financial Monitoring Service on March 16, 2004 following the government shakeup. During his tenure Russia was taken out from the black list of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering. The financial regulation managed to secure more powers for his agency and assumed control over banks as well as casinos, pension funds and pawn-shops. Mr. Zubkov said in May 2004 that several Russian could soon lose their licenses, which came as a reason for a crisis on the interbank credit market.
Viktor Zubkov holds PhD in economics and is an Honored Economist of Russia. His thesis is called
Streamlining taxation on mineral and raw materials complex in the example of Leningrad Region. He holds orders of The Badge of Honor, The Red Banner of Labor, For Service to the Homeland (2nd Class). His daughter, Yulia, is married to Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.
