$13.57bn in taxes paid by major taxpayers in first half of 2002

Tax revenues from the largest taxpayers to the Russian federal budget wereRUR427.76bn (around $13.57bn) in the first half of 2002, an increase of 15percent as compared to the amount of taxes originally imposed on them, theRussian Tax Ministry reported. The following taxes account for the majorpart of collected taxes: excises - 25 percent, profit tax - 24 percent,added-value tax - 21 percent, raw materials production tax - 19 percent.The debts of the largest taxpayers to the federal budget were RUR125.76bn(around $3.99bn) as of July 1, 2002, including unsettled debts ofRUR56.08bn (around $1.78bn). A total of 1,257 organizations are on record of tax-collecting authoritiesinvolved in dealing with the largest taxpayers in Russia, including 245organizations on the federal level, 94 on the district level and 918 on theregional level. It was pointed out by the Tax Ministry that the MinistryBoard had made a decision it was necessary to develop a strategy, whichwould determine the guidelines of dealing with the major taxpayers andjustify the needed management solutions owing to Russia's ascension to theWTO and Russian companies' shift to international accounting standardsbeginning January 1, 2004. .