Head of Central Executive Committee of the United Russia Party Andrey Vorobyev
Photo: Ilya Pitalev
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United Russia Fights Inflation
The United Russia faction representative in the State Duma Andrey Vorobyev has announced that a law called “On Foodstuffs Security” has been drafted that would provide low-income citizens compensation for rising food prices beginning at January 1 of next year. The government's response to the 0.8-percent inflation in September, which brought annual inflation to 7.5 percent, has been low-key. The Federal Antimonopoly Service has begun an enquiry among grocery chains, and Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov has instructed the Economic Development and Trade Ministry to look into lowering rail rates for the transport of grain. The government will also lower some import duties and impose a prohibitive 30-percent duty on grain exports.
The details of the contents of United Russia's new bill were not made public. Duma committees will discuss its proposals with the government through October 15. It was also clear from the statements of Vorobyev that Russian food producers would be shown some sort of preferences. It is possible that the bill will envisage raises in the minimum wage and pensions.
Boris Gryzlov, leader of the United Russia Party and speaker of the Duma, was in Orenburg yesterday, where he sharply denounced “the conspiracy by middleman companies, the so-called chain companies” and demanded that the “too high” profitability of retail chains be reduced. Agriculture Minister Alexey Gordeev also stated that “there are reserves” in food prices at retail chains. His ministry has been pushing a law “On Trade” to limit the grocery business of trade networks. The Finance Ministry has yet to respond to the United Russia initiative, however. “Compensation” was not included in the budget for next year.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 10, 2007
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