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The Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast
January 29, 2009. XXIV Session
of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma
 The Session opened with the annual Address of Viktor Kress, Governor of Tomsk Oblast, to the deputies of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma.
The deputies of the Duma adjusted a number of regional laws concerning management and disposition of public property to changes in the federal legislation.
Amendments were made to the Law “On management and disposition of public property of Tomsk Oblast” to allow regional public enterprises and institutions as well as public authorities to purchase property for the money allocated specially for those purposes.
The deputies also changed a number of provisions of the Law “On lease and transfer to gratuitous use of public property of Tomsk Oblast” to ensure more efficient use of public property by means of granting regional public institutions the right of leasing or transferring to gratuitous use the property assigned to them. According to the Budget Code of the Russian Federation, the Oblast Law was supplemented by a provision on lease payments to the regional budget from lease of public property of the region (with the exception of the property of public unitary enterprises).
The Oblast Law “On 2009 Oblast budget and planning period of 2010 and 2011” was amended. The total amount of 2009 budget revenues and expenditures was increased by 262m rubles. That money will be allocated to Tomsk Oblast from the Russian Fund for Housing and Utility Sector Reform to finance relocation of citizens from unfit housing facilities. With those additional allocations the budget revenues will amount to 30,248m rubles, expenditures 32,419m rubles. The budget deficit is 2,171m rubles or 9.7% of the budget revenues not including financial aid from the federal budget.
 Amendments were made to the Oblast Law “On procedure for notification of rallies, meetings, large gatherings, demonstrations, marches, and pickets in Tomsk Oblast”. According to the Federal Law “On rallies, meetings, large gatherings, demonstrations, marches, and pickets”, ‘for a gathering or picket held by one participant the notification to the executive authorities of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation or local authorities is not required’. The deputies amended the Oblast Law accordingly.
The Duma amended the Law “On turnover of agricultural lands in Tomsk Oblast” to allow farmers and farming enterprises to purchase land at an affordable price. The deputies determined the prices, procedure for price determination and payment for public lands owned by Tomsk Oblast where state ownership is not demarcated. If a farmer (or a farming enterprise) intends to purchase a leased land lot used on a permanent basis, they can buy it out at a price not exceeding 5%-10 % of its cadastral value. Such is the price limit set by the Oblast Duma.
In two readings amendments were made to the Oblast Target Program on Small and Medium Business for 2008-2010 to provide for additional finance tools in this sphere. They include a guarantee fund, assistance to ‘micro’ financial organizations giving loans to small businesses, and support for job seekers and those who ended up in a difficult situation due to unemployment.
The deputies amended the Oblast Law “On procedure for determination of adjacent areas in Tomsk Oblast where retail sale of spirits with alcohol content above 15% is forbidden, and restriction of sale hours”. The deputies also lifted the ban on retail sale of alcohol drinks around bus stops.
Legal Committee of the Duma
presented its 2008 Activity Report
The Committee held 25 meetings and made 207 decisions. Total for 2008, the Committee prepared 499 resolutions out of 1065 passed by the State Duma of Tomsk Oblast, including 137 resolutions to pass the Tomsk Oblast bills. Out of 137 Tomsk Oblast bills introduced by the Legal Committee for consideration by the Duma, 25 were prepared by the deputies of the Committee, including 4 Basic Laws. The Committee also prepared 46 laws in public construction and local government, including 7 new laws.
The Legal Committee also prepared three law initiatives of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma on draft Federal Laws. A number of law initiatives and appeals of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma adopted in previous years on the initiative of the deputies of the Legal Committee, have been supported at the federal level. On the basis of the Oblast Duma initiatives two Federal Laws were adopted: the Federal Law which increased the number of magistrates in Tomsk Oblast to 56 and the Federal Constitutional Law enabling citizens, public associations, enterprises, institutions, and organizations to raise the State Flag of the Russian Federation at any time unless such action is a flag desecration.
The Committee attaches special importance to the work with citizen appeals to the Duma. In certain cases the Committee develops draft regulatory acts on the basis of an appeal. For example, taking into account multiple appeals to impose administrative liability for disorderly behavior in the daytime, such regulation was fixed in the Administrative Code of Tomsk Oblast.
Budget and Finance Committee of the Duma
presented its 2008 Activity Report
The Committee considered 217 issues, including 143 Oblast bills; prepared 127 resolutions on socio-economic situation of the Oblast, its budgetary, fiscal and monetary policy, regional and municipal property, financial sources to ensure budget revenues; drew up 67 Oblast laws to be enrolled.
Labor and Social Policy Committee of the Duma
presented its 2008 Activity Report
The Committee held 14 meetings, considered 257 issues, approved the Concept to Improve Welfare of Tomsk Oblast Citizens till 2020, reviewed and approved seven quality standards for budgetary services in the social sphere, considered over 320 draft Federal Laws, initiatives, and Oblast appeals. Three appeals were submitted to the Russian Government and President on behalf of the Oblast Duma on the initiative of the Committee. The Committee also considered over 150 citizen appeals.
Standing Commissions of the Labor and Social Policy Committee held 15 meetings and considered over 20 issues which required expert evaluation in various spheres. For example, the Health Care Commission considered issues regarding organization of nutrition in health care facilities; the Commission for Physical Training, Sports and Youth Policy took active part in preparation of the Tomsk Oblast Law “On youth policy in Tomsk Oblast”; the Education, Science and Culture Commission handled issues regarding finance in education; Healthy Nutrition Commission dealt with issues regarding provision of healthy nutrition in educational institutions of Tomsk Oblast, and public awareness of healthy nutrition.
Control over the use of the Oblast budget, target budget funds, Oblast property, other control and audit, expert and analytical activity is carried out by auditors from the Control Chamber of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma. In 2008 the checks were provided for programs of privatization (sale) of public property and appropriation of assets into the Tomsk Oblast property; activity of the Oblast public unitary enterprises; lease and gratuitous use as well as management and disposition of the Oblast public property.
Plan of 2009 includes target checks of the use of the Oblast budget funds allocated for construction of gas supply facilities, construction and equipment of the Oblast Perinatal Center, measures of overhaul in apartment blocks and relocation of citizens from unfit housing facilities. It is planned to check the use of funds for implementation of the Oblast ‘anti-crisis’ Law “On provision of citizens with a welfare payment to purchase (construct) accommodation in Tomsk Oblast”. In Seversk, there will be a check of use of the Oblast budget funds allocated to exercise certain public authorities related to families with children. It is panned to check Tomsk Economic Industrial College, Oblast Property Treasury, and conduct a number of other checks.
Viktor Kress, Governor of Tomsk Oblast, awarded Boris Maltsev, Speaker of the Oblast State Duma, with a Certificate of Merit of the President of the RF and a lapel badge to it. Conspicuous statesmen are awarded with a Certificate of Merit of the President of the RF, particularly for merits in defense of Motherland and public construction. As Mr. Maltsev said, it is rather complicated to deserve a state award: ‘This award belongs to all deputy corps and the Tomsk Oblast State Duma. Thank you for high appreciation of our work. We will keep on serving Russia and Tomsk Oblast!’
 During the break between the sittings,
Boris Maltsev, Speaker of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma,
held his traditional media conference
The Speaker noted historical significance of Tomsk Oblast Governor’s Address to the Tomsk Oblast State Duma deputies.
‘The Governor’s Address is of great importance. Today we speak the language different from the yesterday’s one, when we were getting more and more money. We speak the language when we are desperately short of money. I would like to particularly note analysis of economic and social situation in the region. Highly valued should be the part of the Address devoted to Tomsk labor market. I consider that the labor market is the most important section in our anti-crisis program. This is where we can really do something.’
‘And yet, on the other hand, I believe, financial-economic sector under the crisis conditions was undervalued in the Address. The role of banks in the crisis situation is dramatically growing. Meanwhile, today we see and feel that our industries are paralyzed only due to under-crediting by banks. Banks do not have long-term money. And banks fail to take sufficient measures to acquire such money. And state power shall take part in it and help banks attract long-term money to the region.’
‘Economic section, to my mind, deserves more criticism. Therefore, after all we failed to diversify Tomsk Oblast economy to full-fledged and overall extent. We are still addicted to the ‘oil needle’.
‘Crisis fate’, concluded the Speaker analyzing the Governor’s Address, ‘will be sealed neither by plumbers and dairymaids, but by bankers and economists. And we should place special emphasis on this direction. Our Duma will constantly follow this process. All the remaining sections of the Address deserve my approval. And the deputies together with the executive authorities will do everything to accomplish the objectives set in the Address.’
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