Budget and Tax Codes may be amended

The fixation of a mechanism of dividing authority among various levels of government is impossible without introducing amendments to the Budget and the Tax Codes. Dmitry Kozak, the deputy head of the Presidential Administration, voiced this statement at today's parliamentary hearings devoted to the discussion of the bill on regional executive and legislative authorities.

According to Kozak, this document will not work without changes in tax and budget legislation. In particular it is necessary to stipulate revenue sources of budgets of all four levels of government. He noted that the bill might come into effect on January 1, 2005, if amendments to the Budget and Tax Codes were in force by this time.

At the same time Gennady Seleznyov, the Speaker of the State Duma, noted that the bill was aimed at preserving cohesive legislation throughout Russia. The development of relations between the federal center and regions should contribute to the strengthening of Russia, on the whole, and to the economic and social growth of regions, he specified.