08 June 2004 11:33
Russian Duma to cut jobs and deputies` perks
Moscow, 8 June: The State Duma intends to regulate the concessions offered to deputies, thus saving over R100m of
federal budget funds a year, State Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov said today.
Yesterday Gryzlov held a meeting with the deputy speakers, the Duma faction leaders and members of the Duma
procedural committee to discuss the mechanism for regulating the concessions.
Gryzlov explained that savings needed to be made on transport and housing services and on payments for deputies'
flights within Russia, as well as on Duma canteen catering.
The chairman of the procedural committee, Oleg Kovalev, told RIA-Novosti that the point was to "rationalize the
use of budgetary funds". Limits will be set on some services, for example, transport and communications, while the
deputies will receive monetary compensation for the loss of some concessions.
However, Kovalev noted that these issues are at the discussion stage and that it was too early to speak about
specific concessions.
Gryzlov also said that he had signed an instruction on 1 June confirming the new State Duma structure. As was
announced earlier, 335 jobs will be cut from the parliamentary staff and duplicate functions eliminated. "We intend
to get staff working more efficiently," Gryzlov said.
[RIA news agency] |
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