OREANDA-NEWS. On 29 July 2008 was announced, that at its meeting on July 21, 2008 the Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation made the following decisions on the items on its agenda.

I. On progress in the preparation of housing and utilities for the autumn and winter period of 2008-2009.

1. The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has taken note of the report of the Minister of Regional Development of the Russian Federation on the above issue.

The meeting noted that some housing and utilities organizations in some regions of the Russian Federation are lagging behind in preparing for the autumn and winter period. They include:

on housing, the Republic of Buryatia, the Republic of Karelia, the Republic of Tatarstan as well as the Amur and Atrakhan Oblasts;

on boiler rooms, the Kamchatka Krai, the Amur, Vologda, Ivanovo and Murmansk Oblasts;

on central heating networks, the Republic of Altai, the Republic of Buryatia, the Kamchatka Krai, the Amur and Astrakhan Oblasts;

on water supply networks, the Republic of Altai, the Kamchatka Krai, the Astrakhan, Vologda and Magadan Oblasts;

on building up fuel stocks, the Republic of Altai, the republic of Tyva, the Altai, Kamchatka Krais and the Vologda, Magadan and Penza Oblasts;

on financing the works and creation of emergency stocks and inventory, the Republic of Buryatia, the Republic of Ingushetia, the Republic of Kalmykia, the Karachakayevo-Cherkessk Republic, the Kamchatka and Krasnodar Krais, the Vologda, Ivanovo, Kursk and Ulyanovsk Oblasts.

It has been decided that the heads of executive power bodies in the Russian regions take the necessary measures to cure the said shortcomings. The Ministry of Regions of Russia has been given until August 20, 2008 to report back to the Government of the Russian Federation on the measures taken.

2. The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Regions on the creation of an Inter-Agency Commission to evaluate the performance of executive power bodies of the Russian regions in preparing for and working through the autumn and winter period of 2008-2009.

3. The Ministry of Regions of Russia, the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, together with the Federal Executive Power Bodies concerned shall consider the issue of allocating to the relevant federal bodies subsidies in conjunction with the accident-free operation of the housing and utilities under their jurisdiction during the autumn and winter period.

Proposals to the effect shall be duly submitted to the Government of the Russian Federation.

4. The Ministry of Regions of Russia, Rostekhnadzor with the participation of federal executive power bodies concerned have been instructed to take measures toward timely preparation of the housing and utilities in the Russian Federation for working though the peak-load autumn and winter period of 2008-2009 without emergencies paying special attention to the implementation of the necessary measures. Progress shall be reported before September 15 and November 20, 2008 to the Government of the Russian Federation.

5. The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has instructed the Ministry of Regions of Russia, the Ministry of Energy of Russia jointly with the Justice Ministry of Russia to develop a system of measures to toughen the responsibility of the officials who have failed to cause the necessary measures to be taken to prepare housing and utilities and energy facilities for work in the winter conditions.

Proposals to the effect shall be submitted under established procedure to the Government of the Russian Federation before September 1, 2008.

6. The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has instructed the Ministry of Energy of Russia, in conjunction with the executive power bodies and organizations concerned, and in the light of earlier instructions of the Government of the Russian Federation, to monitor the preparation of the power industry facilities for the autumn and winter period of 2008-2009, paying particular attention to creating the stocks of fuel and inventory and resources, timely repairs of equipment, personnel training, completion of the formation by the executive power bodies of the Russian regions of headquarters to ensure safe energy supplies as well as improve the regulatory framework in the field of the power industry.

The Ministry of Energy of Russia has been charged with forming an ad hoc group to verify the creation of the necessary stocks of fuel at power plants.

The results shall be reported to the Government of the Russian Federation before September 10, 2008.

7. The Ministry of Energy of Russia, the Ministry of Regions of Russia, the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia in conjunction with the relevant executive power bodies of the Russian Federation shall identify the high-risk regions in terms of their preparedness for the peak loads in the autumn and winter period of 2008-2009 and develop programs of reducing the said risks for such regions before August 1, 2008.

8. The Ministry of Energy of Russia, the Finance Ministry of Russia, the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and the Federal Customs Service of Russia in conjunction with the relevant federal bodies of executive power have been instructed to:

before August 25, 2008 submit under due procedure a draft act of the Government of the Russian Federation on the procedure of granting and distributing subsidies from the federal budget to the budgets of the regions of the Russian Federation to liquidate cross-subsidizing between territories in the power industry with due account of the approved Rules of Formation, Granting and Distribution of Subsidies out of the Federal Budget to the Budgets of the Russian Regions;

consider the possibility of redistributing some powers between the Ministry of Energy of Russia and the executive power bodies of the Russian Regions in approving the quotas of technological losses of power and heating energy, the specific expenditure of fuel, the creation of fuel stocks and submit the corresponding proposals to the Government of the Russian Federation before August 15, 2008.

9. Rostekhnadzor, the Energy Ministry of Russia and the Ministry of Regions of Russia have been instructed, in conjunction with the executive power bodies concerned, to complete the work of certification of the readiness of the energy facilities under their jurisdiction before November 15, 2008.

The results shall be reported to the Government of the Russian Federation before November 25, 2008.

10. The Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia has been instructed to monitor the level of prices for fuel oil provided to the regions of the Russian Federation where that type of fuel is the main source of energy.

The measures taken shall be reported to the Government of the Russian Federation before September 1, 2008.

11. The Ministry of Regions of Russia, the Finance Ministry of Russia have been instructed, in the light of the discussion held, to make an additional study with the heads of executive power bodies of the Russian regions in which fuel oil is the main source of energy, the issue of financial aid to the regions in connection with the rise of fuel prices.

The results shall be reported to the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, on August 10, 2008.

12. The Federal Customs Service of Russia, the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the Ministry of Energy of Russia with the participation of organizations concerned and OAO RZhD shall consider the issue of the level of railway tariffs for the carriage of coal and petroleum products and report the agreed proposals to the Government of the Russian Federation.

I.I. Sechin has been charged with making a preliminary examination of such proposals.

13. The Ministry of Transport of Russia, in conjunction with the organizations concerned and OAO RZhD , have been instructed to additionally examine the issue and take the necessary measures to provide rolling stock for the carriage of coal and petroleum products.

The results shall be reported to the Government of the Russian Federation.

14. The Ministry of Energy of Russia, the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Russia, in conjunction with the organizations concerned, shall ensure the fulfillment of earlier decisions on the functioning of the fire-fighting units at energy facilities before the beginning of the heating season.

Relevant proposals shall be submitted to the Government of the Russian Federation under established procedure.

15. The federal bodies of executive power jointly with the executive power bodies of the Russian regions and the local government bodies have been instructed to develop, approve and secure the implementation of comprehensive measures to prepare the organizations under their jurisdiction for operation during the autumn and winter period of 2008-2009, paying particular attention to:

the readiness of equipment and engineering networks; the creation of the necessary fuel stocks; measures for energy saving;

inventory of the central heating and power supply equipment in the housing and utilities sector.

16. The executive power bodies of the Russian regions, in conjunction with the local government bodies shall take measures to:

repay the arrears of the housing and utilities organizations for the fuel and energy resources consumed, improve the collection of household utilities payments, and repay the arrears on wages to the housing and utilities sector workers;

ensure compliance with the approved federal standards of payment for housing space and utilities;

introduce energy saving technologies in the housing and utilities facilities;

ensure safe operation and maintenance of gas equipment inside houses;

develop and approve a scheme of interaction between organizations in eliminating possible emergencies at the housing and utilities facilities and in the fuel and energy complex; and

provide the housing and utilities sector with qualified personnel for the operation and maintenance of equipment and engineering networks.

The results shall be reported to the Ministry of Regions of Russia on September 20, 2008.

II. On Draft Federal Law On Introducing Amendments to Article 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has approved a draft federal law on Introducing Amendments to Article 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and decided to submit the same to the State Duma under established procedure.

III. On Draft Federal Law On Introducing Amendments to Article 74 of the Criminal-Procedural Code of the Russian Federation.

The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has approved a draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Article 74 of the Criminal Procedural Code of the Russian Federation and decided to submit it to the State Duma under established procedure.

IV. On Draft Federal Law On Ratification of the Protocol on Introducing Amendments to the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Federal Republic of Germany on Avoidance of Double Taxation with Regard to Income and Property Taxes of May 29, 1996 and the Protocol thereto of May 29, 1996.

The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has approved a draft federal law On Ratification of the Protocol on Introducing Amendments to the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Federal Republic of Germany on Avoidance of Double Taxation with Regard to Income and Property Taxes of May 29, 1996 and the Protocol thereto of May 29, 1996 and has decided to submit it to the State Duma under established procedure.

V. On Draft Federal Law On Ratification of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Latvian Republic on Cooperation in the Field of Social Security.

The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has approved a draft federal law On Ratification of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Latvian Republic on Cooperation in the Field of Social Security and has decided to submit the same to the State Duma under established procedure.

VI. On Introducing Amendments to the Statute on the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and Annulment of Some Acts of the Government of the Russian Federation.

The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has passed a draft decree of the Government on the issue.

VII. On the Issue to the Sakhalin Oblast Administration of Government Housing Certificates to be distributed among the citizens who lost their housing on the territory of the Nevel District of the Sakhalin Oblast as a result of the earthquake on August 2, 2007.

The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has passed a draft executive order of the Government on the issue.

VIII. On humanitarian relief to the population of the Union of Myanmar stricken by a tropical hurricane in May 2008.

The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has passed a draft executive order of the Government on the issue and has instructed the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the Ministry of Defense of Russia, the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Russia and the Ministry of Finance of Russia in conjunction with the federal executive power bodies concerned to consider the issue of developing a uniform procedure of providing goods and services for humanitarian operations, including international ones, and have been instructed to submit the relevant proposals to the Government of the Russian Federation under due procedure.

July 24, 2008

Moscow

* The decisions on the items on the agenda are taken with due account of the remarks and proposals made at the Government meeting and are issued as official documents of the Government of the Russian Federation.