3 November 2004
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Government Dominates Discussion Over Republican Budget
Tatar Finance Minister Radik Giyzatullin said during the 2 November meeting of the State Council's budget commission that the republican cabinet sponsored the adoption of 162 out of a total of 300 amendments to Tatarstan's 2005 budget, while only six amendments suggested by the deputies were approved, Intertat reported the same day. The Tatar parliament will discuss the draft budget at its plenary session on 11 November.
Private Companies To Enter Tatarstan's Health Insurance Market
Tatar Health Minister Kamil Ziyatdinov told reporters on 2 November that from 2005 private companies will take on the provision of health insurance in the republic, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported the next day. For the last two months of 2004, the government will hold an open tender among the insurance companies. The results of the tender will be announced in early 2005.
KamAZ To Introduce First Euro-3 Engine To Russia
In 2005, the KamAZ automotive concern is aiming to become the first domestic producer of engines meeting Euro-3 pollution standards, Intertat reported on 2 November. The new engines will reportedly be cheaper than their foreign counterparts and thus ensure a more competitive price of KamAZ trucks abroad. Currently, the Chally-based automotive concern is equipping its trucks for export with imported diesel engines.
Parliament Proposes Anticorruption Conference
The Tatar State Council has proposed a nationwide conference on anticorruption legislation, "Kommersant" reported on 3 November. Prior to this decision, Tatarstan's parliament signed an agreement with the Russian Audit Chamber's Institute of Accounting Analysis about the inspection of the republic's legislation, which has the potential of engendering corruption. The move follows a July decision of President Mintimer Shaimiev to set up a governmental commission on an anticorruption strategy.
Compiled by Iskender Nurmi
DAILY REVIEW FROM BASHKORTOSTAN
Bashkortostan's LDPR Criticized For Lack Of Organization
During the 30 October meeting of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) branch in Bashkortostan, local party activists complained that the party leadership in Moscow ignores them, while the party leadership criticized them for lack of organization, an RFE/RL Ufa correspondent reported on 1 November. Oleg Aleshin, the head of the LDPR Duma faction, said at the same meeting that his party supported Russian President Vladimir Putin's 13 September proposed political reforms. Currently, 11 local LDPR offices in Bashkortostan have an estimated 585 active members and five deputies in regional and municipal councils. During the 2003 Duma vote, Bashkortostan submitted the third highest share of votes cast for LDPR across Russia with 10.54 percent, outnumbered only by Moscow and the Moscow Oblast.
Compiled by Iskender Nurmi