Senators fit into the new paradigm

The Federation Council on Wednesday devoted most of its first meeting of the year to committee reports. The number of bills that managed to enter the upper house after the New Year holidays turned out to be small, but the senators were able to sum up the results of the past year and recognize the implementation of the tasks of the special military operation (SVO) and the integration of new regions as the key area of ​​their work. Nevertheless, amendments to the Tax Code on the introduction of an excise tax on disposable vapes and liquids for them caused a lively discussion and even an absentee controversy between the speakers of the two chambers.

The Federation Council (SF) on January 25 approved amendments to the Tax Code on the introduction of an excise tax on disposable vapes and liquids for them, initiated by the head of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy Andrei Kutepov and his deputy Alexei Sinitsyn. During the discussion of the bill, it turned out that senators are very concerned about the topic of combating tobacco smoking. Whether the increase in excise taxes will lead to an increase in counterfeit goods, Yury Fedorov, representing Udmurtia, was worried. There is a risk, Mr. Sinitsyn admitted, but the emergence in the near future of a single body responsible for licensing nicotine-containing products, and the tightening of criminal liability for counterfeit products should minimize them. In addition, the increase in excise taxes is not so significant, he recalled – 2% for cigarettes and 10% for vapes.

But then Altai Senator Vladimir Poletaev remembered that the question arose in the State Duma of a complete ban on vapes (the chairman of the Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, instructed to make the appropriate proposals last week), and asked what the position of the upper house was. With regard to minors, this was, of course, a completely justified measure, Mr. Sinitsyn agreed. As for adults, you need to understand that they will look for other ways to consume tobacco and will always be able to return to the same traditional cigarettes, he warned colleagues. And for starters, it would be good to understand what is more harmful, the senator added: “An analysis of the harm to the health of electronic systems, some kind of objective, which will be done, for example, by the Ministry of Health or Rospotrebnadzor, will be the basis for making such a decision.” Suddenly, the chairman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, warmly supported him: “This itch is to ban it, close it, punish it … We need to analyze the consequences, so as not to harm.”

From the struggle for a healthy lifestyle, the senators moved on to issues of state building in the new conditions.

It will soon be a year since the NWO began, and our country has resolutely and irrevocably embarked on the path of gaining national sovereignty, Evgeny Savchenko, Senator from Belgorod, reminded his colleagues. In his opinion, the presidential decree, which approved the foundations of the state policy for the preservation and strengthening of traditional values, sets a new paradigm for the existence of the country.

Meanwhile, the current legislation does not always meet the tasks set, the senator was indignant: for example, financial organizations issuing microcredits not only do not contribute to the goal of “saving the people”, but also impede it, since the borrowed youth are in no hurry to give birth.

A revision of the legislation is needed, Mr. Sachenko insisted, and the executor, according to him, could be the Federation Council Commission for the Protection of Sovereignty. “Probably, it’s still closer (to the chairman of the state construction committee Andrei.— “b”) Klishas, ​​- Ms. Matvienko appreciated the idea. – Let’s instruct to study the issue and report back.

However, as follows from the reports of the overwhelming majority of committees presented at the meeting, senators are already evaluating their work within the framework of the new paradigm. As Andrei Yatskin, representative of the Federation Council in the State Duma, reported, more than 70 of the 650 laws adopted last year were aimed at the sustainable functioning of the economy in the face of external sanctions pressure. About 20 more laws regulated the integration of new regions into the legal, economic and financial space of the Russian Federation, and about the same number are aimed at protecting the social and labor rights of NWO participants and their families. “I have no doubt that work in this direction will be continued this year as well,” Mr. Yatskin assured.

Andrei Klishas also called the issues of integration of new territories key: with the participation of members of his committee, more than 10 bills were developed and submitted, some of which have already been signed by the president. Also, the State Construction Committee actively participated in the work to support the participants of the NWO, Mr. Klishas recalled.

Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee Viktor Bondarev reported that he and his colleagues not only reviewed and agreed upon 57 laws and bills, most of which are aimed at fulfilling the tasks of the NMD, but also proposed a set of measures to improve the regulatory framework in the development and production of weapons . In addition, together with the Ministry of Defense, the senators prepared a manual on mobilization issues, and in January 2023, all military commissariats were provided with Internet access – the completion of work on their digitalization is scheduled for the end of the year.

Andriy Shevchenko, Chairman of the Regional Policy Committee, reported that, through the efforts of his colleagues, the mobilized fighters were exempted from charging fines for late payment of utility bills. Finally, Grigory Karasin, head of the international affairs committee, said that work to ensure Russia’s foreign policy was carried out in an atmosphere of international tension, as the “collective West” opted for confrontation. “You understand all the tasks, you need to be more energetic on the agenda this year,” Valentina Matvienko admonished her colleagues.

Anastasia Kornya