Gifts to Officials Worth More Than $90 to Be Handed Over to State

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – January 10, 2014) Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed an order requiring state officials to hand over to the state any gifts they receive that are worth more than 3,000 rubles ($90), but gives them an option of buying the presents back.

The anti-corruption measure requires government officials to report any gifts within three days of receiving them. If an official gets a present during a business trip, the recipient must report it within three days of returning home, according to the order, published on the government’s website on Friday.

State officials will then assess value of the present, and if they decide that it’s worth less than 3,000 rubles, the recipient will get it back.

If the value of the present is deemed to exceed that amount, the recipient will get two months to file a request for buying the present back. Otherwise, the present will remain property of the state.

The order covers any gifts presented in connection with a government official’s position, but excludes flowers, office supplies that are handed out during official events, and awards.

The order applies to all Cabinet officials, members of the State Duma, the Federation Council and the regional legislatures and judges, an explanatory note accompanying the order said. Employees of state-run corporations and educational institutions and other state employees and holders of public offices, are also subject to the new measure.

Gazprom was the only state-owned corporation that was cited by name in the explanatory note.