Press Release, 13.07.2016

The Finance Ministry proposes to prohibit for top state officials to rent expensive powerful cars. YABLOKO Anticorruption Policy Centre launched this initiative some time ago.

The draft act by the Finance Ministry virtually quotes YABLOKO’s proposals. According to the document, it will be forbidden for top officials in the rank of ministers and deputy ministers to rent cars over 200 hp, and for the rest of the officials – over 150 hp. These requirements will also apply to taxi services.

“I am glad that the Finance Ministry has heard our proposal, although no one mentioned that it was YABLOKO’s initiative. For us the result is the main thing, so that budget money is not spent on the whim of officials,” said Sergei Mitrokhin, head of YABLOKO Anti-Corruption Policy of the Centre.

The ban for officials on the purchase of expensive cars over 2.5 million roubles came into effect in 2016. However, officials found a loophole in the law taking advantage of the rental services for more expensive and powerful cars.

YABLOKO Anti-Corruption Policy Centre detected several multi-million dollar purchases of cars for officials of the Moscow region during January-June 2016.

In addition, in 2916 a foreign-made helicopter Agusta AW139 No RA-01987 was rented for the needs of Governor of the Moscow Region Andrei Vorobyov. The cost of the rent amounts to 4.9 million roubles for six months. This is almost twice the cost of renting domestic counterparts. The cost of the helicopter is 14 million euros, i.e. over 1 billion roubles.

Sergei Mitrokhin also proposes to include into the Government’s Act a ban for officials for the purchase and rent of elite air transport.