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Photo Credit: http://raznesi.info
1. My money is over the ocean… oh bring back this money to me…
Russia is mulling an amnesty for businesses that hold their funds in offshore jurisdictions in a move to plug capital drain and inject funds into the slumping economy.
Fair Russia’s Mikhail Serdyuk has authored a bill to exonerate businessmen of administrative violations if they move their capitals back home.
According to a projection by the Central Bank, 2014 will see an outflow of $90 billion while the Finance Ministry expects the figure to be as high as $100 billion.
The Russian parliament estimated the total losses over the past two decades at $800 billion.
2. I want my villa back!
Another draft law expected to get to the floor soon authorizes the Russian government to declare rulings by foreign courts null and void.
One of the provisions makes it possible for Russian individuals and companies to receive compensation from the state for any assets they might lose due to a court’s decision. The state may then demand recompense from the country where this court is located or sell off any assets this country may hold in Russia.
Many, including Economic Development Minister Alexey Ulyukaev, have questioned the motives behind the legislation, with some suggesting it is supposed to help sanctions-hit Arkady Rotenberg, whose assets, including three villas and a hotel in Italy.
3. State Drugs Control Agency to Get More Power
After a number of fresh deaths due to new synthetic drugs, MPs have moved a bill to give more power to the State Drugs Control Agency.
If the draft law is passed, the watchdog will be authorized to declare illegal any suspicious substances without waiting for lab tests that would certify its hazardous, and sometimes lethal, properties.
The move would save precious time that is often wasted, allowing more lives to be saved.
It’s a race against time, because many drug dealers, including from China, are working hard to invent new formulas and pitch their ‘safe’ products to teenagers. The biggest danger comes from the seemingly innocent ‘spice’.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, "spice" refers to a wide variety of herbal mixtures that produce experiences similar to marijuana (cannabis) and that are marketed as "safe," legal alternatives to that drug. Sold under many names, including K2, fake weed, Yucatan Fire, Skunk, Moon Rocks, and others — and labeled "not for human consumption" — these products contain dried, shredded plant material and chemical additives that are responsible for their psychoactive (mind-altering) effects.
Author: Mikhail Vesely
