Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Mr Belyaninov, let us begin with the logical question - the collection of taxes in terms of the budget.
Andrei Belyaninov: We have collected and transferred to the accounts of the Federal Treasury 2.801 trillion roubles ($97.7 billion).
Vladimir Putin: And what is your plan?
Andrei Belyaninov: In accordance with the parameters stipulated by the Finance Ministry, we are to collect: 3.345 billion roubles ($116.67 million) this year. We are confident that we will fulfil this plan.
Vladimir Putin: For the year?
Andrei Belyaninov: Yes, for the year.
Vladimir Putin: In other words, you are slightly ahead of schedule, are you?
Andrei Belyaninov: Yes, slightly. I would like to show you these two charts (shows the charts). They offer a graphic picture of the situation in the economy. These are aggregate payments by year. We saw a peak in the collection of taxes last year, despite a downward trend at the end of the year.
And this is a chart comparing tax collection i for a ten-month period, how much we collected every month. We are currently at this point. We have collected more than in 2007, which was not the worst year in terms of tax collection.
And this chart shows the collection of import duties, which is a sensitive figure. Imports have fallen by 45-50%, yet the collection of import duties is comparable to the same period of 2007.
I would also like to speak about the auto industry. This year, new car imports amounted to only 27% of last year's figure. I believe Government measures taken to protect the Russian automobile industry have produced the expected results in terms of new cars and the import of used cars. Our auto industry has received a reprieve. In addition, the number of new imported cars has decreased. In my opinion, it was an effective measure taken by the Government, which points...
Vladimir Putin: ...to support for the Russian automobile industry.
Andrei Belyaninov: Yes, for the Russian automobile industry and those cars, the car models that are produced in Russia.