MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced a bill to the State Duma, lower house of parliament, that decriminalizes punishment for violating the terms of repatriation of foreign currency earnings if the entrepreneur has not previously been subjected to administrative fines. The document has been registered in the State Duma database.
The initiative is aimed at further improvement of business climate in the country and reducing the risks of doing business, according to the explanatory note attached to the draft law.
The amendments were prepared, "in particular, taking into account the current situation in foreign trade, when Russian exporters more frequently have to deal with delays occurring through no fault of their own when returning (receiving) foreign currency earnings, especially if export is carried out by Russian companies that have fallen into so-called foreign sanctions lists."
In this regard, under amendments to Russia’s Criminal Code "a violation of the requirements of the currency legislation of the Russian Federation on crediting or refunding money, committed on a large scale, will be recognized as a criminal offense only if it is committed by a person previously subjected to administrative punishment for a similar act."
At the same time, the amendments imply tougher responsibility for such violations if they are committed by a group of persons upon a preliminary conspiracy or by an organized group.
