"FATHER OF SHOCK THERAPY" NOW THINKS HOW TO COMBAT POVERTY IN RUSSIA

MOSCOW, APRIL 7. /RIA NOVOSTI / -- A well-known Russian economist fathering the "shock therapy" policy, Yegor Gaidar, director of the Transitional Economy Institute, thinks it quite real to axe two times poverty in Russia in three to four years to come. He said this at a press conference in Moscow.

"It is theoretically possible. The question is how the economy is developing and whom to rank as poor", Gaidar said.

Bearing in mind the Russian notion of poverty, this goal can quite be met under favourable conditions, Gaidar believes. "Anyway, setting such a goal is useful", he said.

In his idea, the shortest way to cut poverty is to replace privileges to socially unprotected people by pinpoint payments to the poor.

Giadar also spoke of increasing taxation of the oil sector, noting that the government's relative proposals are "twice as cautious as ours".

"We have come to the conclusion that, without harming the development of the oil sector, it is possible additionally to take from it from 90 to 120 billion roubles (1 dollar equals 28.5 roubles) annually at the 22 dollars-per-barrel price of oil. Such a step would make sense", the economist said.

He said that, during the last presidential term, a rent-relations reform was held and has proved to be efficient, additionally yielding eight billion dollars to the budget every year.