RUSSIA EARMARKS CLOSE ON 2 TRILLION RUBLES OF FISCAL REVENUES, SAYS MINISTER

AKSAKOVO, MOSCOW REGION, FEBRUARY 27 (RIA NOVOSTI) - This year's federal budget earmarks a trillion and 691.2 billion rubles fiscal revenues (1$ equals 29 rubles). Of this, fiscal and non-fiscal revenues are evaluated at a trillion and 253 billion rubles, and unified social tax revenues to the federal purse, 438.2 billion, said Gennady Bukayev, acting Taxation Minister. He was addressing an enlarged-attendance ministerial board session, which gathered to sum up last year's work.

He described tax collection as a "sacred goal", and emphatically called on the ministerial staff to cope with the task.

A fiscal reform is underway in Russia, so the ministry ought to concentrate on streamlining fiscal administration, especially concerning profit and value added taxation. Of no smaller importance will be improving patterns of contacts with organizations outside the fiscal network.

Last year's tax revenues amounted to a trillion and 311.7 billion rubles - 14.1 per cent more than the year before.

Total consolidated national budget revenues, government extrabudgetary fund revenues included, made 3 trillion and 636 billion rubles in 2003 - 15.4 per cent more than the preceding year.

The federal purse received 49 per cent of total consolidated fiscal revenues, and regional and republican consolidated budgets 51 per cent.