Duma official comments on financing preparation for winter

The 2003 budget should stipulate additional financing of preparation forwinter and emergency situations, deputy chairman of the State Dumacommittee for CIS affairs Anatoly Chekhoyev told RBC. In his opinion, theseare the issues, which could arouse extended discussions in the Duma whileconsidering the major financial document of the country for the next year.At the same time, the deputy pointed out that parliament members werewell-aware of the so-called '2003 problem' connected with repaying over$17bn in foreign debts. "This is a very large sum; we shall have to take inreefs", Chekhoyev said.As for the adoption of the document by the lower house, the deputy pointedout that due to a preliminary coordination of the budget draft with thecentrists, the document would be adopted "in the short term". "Thanks tothe centrist majority, the budget can be adopted in two days on all fourreadings", Chekhoyev said.Speaking of next year's financing the lines supervised by the CIScommittee, he stressed that "the amount of resources for Russians living inCIS countries, remains at the current level". According to the deputy, thisyear this sum will be increased by 60 percent. "This is not bad, and isbetter than in 2001; however, this is RUR0.003 per capita, which is verylittle", Chekhoyev pointed out. The deputy pointed out Germany as anexample where DM969 were spent per capita for German citizens every year..