Vladimir Putin Demands To Minimize Publicity Of The Audit Chamber Operation

According to the report of the RIA Novosti correspondent, Vladimir Putin demanded to minimize publicity of the Audit Chamber operation. At his meeting with members of the Russian Audit Chamber Board the head of state announced that the Audit Chamber "was a powerful instrument both from the point of view of its terms of reference and the tasks assigned to it". That was why, the President stated, "publicity of the work of the Audit Chamber should be minimized". Vladimir Putin also emphasized that the Audit Chamber should become a "politically neutral mechanism" of control over spending of funds from the federal budget. The head of the Russian state indicated the necessity to increase the level of cooperation in the area of budgetary control between the Audit Chamber, the Federal Assembly (parliament) and the government. The President stated that in the sphere of control over spending of budgetary funds "it was imperative to eliminate duplication" and he added that the Audit Chamber had to more closely cooperate with the Federal Assembly and the government.