Russia Appoints 'Black Economy' Task Force

by Tatiana Smolenskaya, Tax-News.com, Moscow

16 January 2012

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has instructed First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov to establish a working group to fight financial crime, including tax evasion.

According to a January 12 announcement by the President's office, the new working group will bring together law enforcement agencies, the Bank of Russia and the Federal Tax Service in order to "combat illicit financial transactions".

"The aim of establishing the working group is to improve the detection and prevention of financial transactions aimed at the legalization of proceeds from criminal activity (including through the use of fly-by-night companies), financing of terrorism, evasion of taxes and customs duties, as well as the detection and prevention of obtaining income generated by corruption," the office stated.

Zubkov has some experience in this area already, having headed up the government's financial crime watchdog, the Financial Monitoring Agency, from March 2004 to September 2007.

Recommended