Press Release*

The following issues are scheduled for discussion at the July 12, 2010 meeting of the Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation:

1. Progress in the implementation of the plan of measures to improve government administration in 2009-2010

In December 2009 the government issued an executive order approving the Plan of Activities to Improve Government Administration in 2009-2010 which envisages a set of measures both of a systemic and sectoral character.

The following areas were singled out in preparing the said Plan of Activities:

1) improving the control, supervisory and permissive functions with the main aim of reducing state regulation, eliminating administrative barriers, including optimization of the activity of federal executive bodies, elimination of overlaps in their scopes of authority, the introduction of accreditation and self-regulation in some spheres of activity and reduction of the number of licensed types of activity;

2) improving the delivery of government services, completing the classification of government services, optimization of paid services by switching to "one-stop" mode of delivery of government services (including with the use of multi-functional centres) in electronic format with the use of the government services portal, and completing the compilation of the Single Register of  Government Services;

3) ensuring access to information on the activities of government bodies and local self-government bodies as part of implementing the federal law On Ensuring Access to Information on the Activities of Government Bodies;

4) improving the system of the civil service and counteracting corruption. This area includes optimization of the staff size of government bodies and reduction of budget spending on their activities, the implementation of departmental anti-corruption plans and monitoring their effectiveness, improvement of government procurement and sale of property through measures aimed at introducing electronic online trading.

To determine the main results of the fulfillment of the Plan of Activities to Improve Government Administration in 2009-2010 the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia has prepared a report and proposals aimed at improving government administration.

2. Draft federal law On Introducing an Amendment to Article 17²  of the federal law On State Allowances to Citizens Who Have Children

The draft federal law has been submitted by the Ministry of Education and Science.

The need to develop the draft law was prompted by the problems that arose in enforcing Article 17 of the federal law On State Allowances to Citizens Who Have Children.

To be eligible for a lump-sum allowance when transferring a child into the care of a family citizens must submit within 6 months the necessary documents, including the court ruling stripping parents of their parental rights (restricting parental rights, declaring parents to be legally incapable or partly incapable, missing or dead) or documents establishing the fact of lack of parental care.

The process of examining these cases in law courts is often long drawn-out because of the need to present additional proof confirming the fact that the child has no parental care.

The draft law establishes the procedure of applying for a lump-sum allowance when transferring a child for upbringing into a family whereby the day of the application of the citizen entitled to the said allowance is the day when the corresponding application, with all the necessary documents attached, was accepted. If not all the necessary documents are attached to the application they are to be submitted within six months of the day the application for the allowance was accepted. 

3. Draft federal law On Introducing an Amendment to Article 10 of the federal law On the Procedure of Exit from and Entry into the Russian Federation

The draft federal law has been submitted by the Federal Migration Service of Russia.

Under Paragraph 4, Article 10 of the federal law On the Procedure of Exit from and Entry into the Russian Federation the time of issue of a Russian passport serving as an identification document outside the country's territory, in the event an application for its issue was filed at the place of residence, must not exceed one month since the day of the filing of the said application.

At the same time, it is impossible to issue a foreign travel passport within the timeframe determined by the federal law if verification measures need to be carried out with regard to applications for the issue of a foreign travel passport by citizens who have (or had) access to very important information or top-secret data categorized as state secrets under the laws of the Russian Federation.

In this connection the draft law introduces an amendment to Article 10 of the federal law whereby the time period of the issue of a foreign travel passport to a Russian citizen who has (had) access to very important information or top-secret data categorized as state secrets under the laws of the country must not exceed three months since the filing of an application for a passport. 

4. Introducing amendments to certain acts of the Government of the Russian Federation  in connection with the adoption of the Federal Law of December 30, 2009 No.385-FZ On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On Technical Regulation

The draft resolution on the issue has been submitted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

The draft has been developed pursuant to the federal law On Introducing Amendments to Federal Law On Technical Regulation and envisages amendments to the provisions on the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Telecommunications and Media, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Agriculture, Rosrybolovstvo and Rosalkogolregulirovaniye. These provisions are to be complemented with provisions to the effect that these federal executive bodies, within their scopes of authority, develop draft rules and methods of investigation (tests) and measurements, including the rules of recovery of samples required for the application and compliance with the technical regulations and for assessment of compliance with the use of documents in the field of standardization.

Under the draft resolution the measures arising from it will be carried out without the increase of the number of the head office staff of the said federal executive bodies established by the government or the budget allocations envisaged by the federal budget for the management in the sphere of their established functions.

5. Introducing amendments to the Statute on the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation

The draft resolution on the issue has been submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture. The federal law On Introducing Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in connection with the improvement of the activities of executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local self-government bodies introduces amendments to Article 83 of the Forestry Code of the Russian Federation. In accordance with these amendments the authorised federal executive body has the right to issue administrative regulations on the delivery of government services and the performance of state functions within the delegated powers.

On the strength of the above Subclause 5.2.25 of the Statute on the Ministry of Agriculture is to be enlarged by adding the provision whereby the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has the right to issue administrative regulations on the delivery of government services and performance of government functions within the delegated powers of the Russian Federation in the field of forestry.

6. Signing the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Abkhazia on Granting a State Loan to the Republic of Abkhazia

7. Allocation from the Reserve Fund of the Government of the Russian Federation to the Government of the Republic of Khakassia of money for lump-sum payments to the citizens who have suffered as a result of the accident at the branch of the Open Joint Stock Company RusHydro - Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Station, which took place on August 17, 2009

Moscow, July 11, 2010

* Press releases by the Department of Press Service and Information contain the materials submitted by the executive federal bodies for discussion by the Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation