N e w s

The State Duma has accepted in the first reading the bill "Of the bringing the changes in the article 13 of the federal law "Of precious metals and gemstones". According to the correspondent of "Rosbalt", this document prescribes to transfer the whole assay sum of the precious metals and gemstones sale to the federal budget.

As the Government states it, the offered measure will allow additional attraction of 12 to 13 million of rubles into the budget annually with the following growth owing to the increase in the volume of Russian jewellery production.

The law is to come into force on January the 1st, 2003. 345 deputies voted for its acceptance, one abstained.