21 June 2004 12:07
Russia`s trade minister calls for shake-up of bureaucracy
"Political risks for business exist in absolutely every country, but in Russia it is the economic risks that
come to the fore. Following the administrative reform this problem has been tackled, but only in part. I think harsher
policies are what is needed: several public dismissals of major officials for not being up to their jobs will really
shake up the state bureaucracy," ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Minister of Economic Development and Trade German
Gref as telling a business conference in Moscow today. The conference has been organized by the Renaissance Capital
company.
Gref admitted that loopholes in economic regulations, the economy's slowness in adapting to changes and the
powerful state bureaucracy were "the main problem for Russian businessmen".
He said that there were no reasons why world oil prices should decline to "abnormally-low levels of between 12
and 15 dollars per barrel" and added: "We are always ready for oil price fluctuations within a corridor of
between 20 and 40 dollars."
Gref said, adding that if prices drop below 20 dollars the government would have to effect extremely harsh reforms in
the shortest-possible timeframe.
Gref argued for broad privatization and for restricting the number of facilities in local authority ownership.
He described the commercialization of the scientific and the privatization of the defence sectors of the
country's economy as the mainsprings for accelerating Russia's economic growth.
Gref argued for a new law on mineral resources and for introducing tenders for oil deposits to increase the
efficiency of oil extraction. He also called for developing forestry and metallurgy. "Russia, which has a quarter
of world's forest and metal resources, accounts for only 1 per cent of the world exports of these
commodities," he said.
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
