Accounts Chamber Chairperson Tatyana Golikova said in her report that improvements in this area could greatly reduce the number of financial violations in chief bodies that administer federal budget revenue. She said that inspections of financial results from 2015 revealed 1,073 such violations, worth a total of more than 400 billion rubles.
Labour and Social Protection Minister Maxim Topilin reported on the results of his agency’s monitoring of government officials and whether they comply with the approved procedure for reporting any gifts they receive at protocol events, during business trips or other official events.
Mr Topilin said that from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016, the officials of federal agencies and the staff of subordinate organisations, state corporations and foundations, as well as the employees of the Bank of Russia had surrendered 4,650 gifts, 1,255 of which had been returned to the gift givers because each of the gifts cost more than 3,000 rubles. The other gifts have been bought, turned over to charities or sent to storage. Fourteen gifts were made of precious metals and hence were dispatched to the state depositary of precious metals and gemstones, Gokhran.
The meeting participants also discussed amendments to legislation that have been drafted as per the President’s instructions.
Head of the Presidential Directorate for Countering Corruption Oleg Plokhoi presented a draft federal law that would introduce an oath of allegiance ceremony for government officials and a system for verifying whether heads of municipal and local administrations comply with anti-corruption provisions.
The meeting’s agenda also included a discussion of additional matters that fall within the scope of responsibility of the Presidium of the Presidential Council for Countering Corruption, including its authority to enforce compliance with the rules of official conduct and settle conflicts of interest of the country’s senior officials.