It is through a Russian bank, but I don't believe that will cause trouble. Russia needs money. Period. Now they want to boost defense. That costs money. Big money. They know they need money.
Taxes are the safest bet in Russia. The holograms are DIRECTLY tied to taxes.
Leslie, why do you insist on spouting LU and China deals out one side of your mouth and HGRM and Russian deals out the other. China is notorious for starting a deal and then finishing it themselves against all US and most International Laws. Why do you think most of the US businesses would like to see China in the WTO?
Jim
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Wednesday April 7 4:01 PM ET
Russia Says Tax Collection Improves
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia proclaimed a modest success in tax collection Wednesday and another IMF mission
began studying Russia's economic performance to prepare a new loan deal.
Tax Minister Georgy Boos said the government had collected about $2 billion during the first quarter of this year,
slightly above its target of $1.9 billion.
Tax evasion is widespread in Russia, and the International Monetary Fund has said the government must work
harder to boost tax collection to qualify for the new loans Russia desperately needs to pay off massive foreign debts.
Despite the Tax Ministry's latest successes, Boos acknowledged that fulfillment of the IMF's demands would be
''very difficult.''
Russia has promised the IMF it will collect about $11 billion for the year.
Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov and IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus agreed in principle last week
that the fund would resume its lending to Russia, but the loan's size and other details have yet to be worked out.
A new group of IMF experts arrived in Russia this week to assess Russia's economic performance and prepare a
report for the annual IMF and World Bank meeting later this month.
A final decision on the loan may be made by the IMF board in May, the ITAR-Tass news agency said.
Russia hopes to get up to $8 billion from the IMF, but most analysts agree the fund will most likely provide just
enough money for Russia to pay off $4.5 billion to the IMF this year to service previous loans.
While pushing for IMF loan to avert a looming default on Russia's foreign debts, the Cabinet has stressed the need
to find more resources at home.
Primakov attended a meeting of agricultural officials Wednesday, and promised support to the ailing sector so it can
boost production.
''No government will be able to stabilize the situation in the country unless the countryside revives,'' Primakov said,
according to the Interfax news agency.
Meanwhile, the government said Wednesday it had earmarked $572,000 for aid to Yugoslavia, including food and
medicine and relief workers. Russia has fiercely opposed NATO airstrikes on Yugoslavia and sent a humanitarian
aid shipment to Belgrade on Tuesday. |
