The government's desire to make information from the income declarations of employees of state banks and companies public has some of those employees up in arms.
Employees of some state companies and banks have said they were recently asked to agree to make the data in their declarations publicly available.
Natalya Timakova, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, confirmed that letters to that effect had been sent.
"We are shocked. That means anyone can gain access to confidential tax information, not only of state company executives but also of their relatives," the manager of a state holding said.
According to sources who have read the documents, the executives are being asked to fill out two addendums to their declarations. One of the documents allows federal bodies to exchange the information. The second gives consent to make the data public.
At the end of last year, then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin demanded that the 21 state-owned companies and state banks disclose the beneficiaries of their contractors and information on the income of top managers and their immediate families.
Managers were obliged to declare income, financial commitments such as loans, ownership of shares and organizations in which they are beneficiaries. Only real estate holdings were left out of the requirement.
Timakova does not see a problem with the additional disclosure procedures. Civil servants' tax declarations have been published for several years, she said.
Signing the disclosure consent form is voluntary at this point, one of the sources added.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
