Russian Cabinet Readies Tax Exemptions For Defense-industry Complex

The Russian cabinet is drafting 50 amendments to the Tax Code as regards taxation of defense-industrial complex enterprises, Vice-Premier Ilya Klebanov told journalists after a joint sitting of the presidiums of the Russian State and Security Councils. These amendments are designed to "preserve the financial structure of holdings to be established in the defense-industrial complex and allow taxes levied on the sectoral enterprises to remain in the regions". Klebanov was hopeful that parliament will approve them. As regards holdings to be set up in the defense-industrial complex, the vice-premier stressed that recent years' errors will be taken into account. When holdings were established, financial resources used to be "pumped out" from these regions. Klebanov also specified that the holdings' tax payments will be channelled into their advancement, development of new products and marketing.