Agenda: protection of citizens from telephone and Internet fraud, support for residents and farmers in the Kursk Region, preferences for investors in the Far East, simplified visa regime with China for road carriers, ensuring effective protection of citizens' rights.
Government meeting
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Good afternoon, colleagues.
Today, we will have a discussion on a very important issue, which concerns internet and telephone scams.
Attackers use various tactics, including social engineering methods, to gain access to victims’ personal accounts and bankcards to siphon off people’s savings.
In response to the President’s instruction, we have drafted amendments aimed at preventing threats in the information technology domain. We have developed a comprehensive package of measures and are going to start implementing them in the near future.
In particular, caller ID is now mandatory for outbound calls, which means that the called party will know who called them – an organisation or an international virtual number. The caller ID will always be displayed on the phone screen.
Russians will have an opportunity to reject advertising calls and messages, which should protect them from unwanted calls and spam texts made without their prior consent.
I would like to emphasise that public services, telecom operators and banks will no longer be allowed to use foreign messenger apps to contact clients. This measure will help to suppress schemes in which attackers pose as one of those services’ officials.
It is planned to create an information system to identify suspicious actions and block them in a timely manner. This platform will also collect voice samples of those who abuse people’s trust for criminal purposes.
Additional measures will unlock more tools to mitigate digital risks. We will continue to do everything necessary to help Russians avoid fraud and protect their savings and real estate.
Now, moving to another subject. The focus will be on supporting residents of the Kursk Region. This matter was discussed by the President with the Acting Governor of the region.
To assist the population, it is critical to continuously analyse all emerging challenges and promptly adopt necessary decisions, including financial measures.
Citizens, among them families with children, were compelled to leave their homes. Many are now renting temporary accommodation.
To compensate for their housing expenses, the Government will allocate an additional 1.3 billion roubles to the Kursk Region.
I instruct the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities to expedite the disbursement of these funds to the region, ensuring residents receive the financial support owed to them without delay.
Regarding aid to agricultural workers in the Kursk Region:
It is vital to provide additional compensation for property losses incurred by residents of the region, as repeatedly emphasised by the President.
Businesses in the region have suffered significant damage. Preliminary assessments indicate that 20 agricultural producers operating in the area have been recognised as affected parties. The Government will allocate 2.5 billion roubles to them. This subsidy will compensate for losses related to livestock and commercial aquaculture facilities.
I direct the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure resources are transferred to Kursk’s agricultural sector as swiftly as possible. Despite the severe challenges facing the region, people continue working there, striving to sustain their enterprises. They must, of course, be supported in these efforts.
The next issue pertains to the Far East. The Head of State has highlighted that the macro-region must achieve growth rates exceeding the national average. A favourable environment must be established for domestic enterprises and foreign partners, with particular emphasis on the Kuril Islands.
Pursuant to the President’s instruction, a package of benefits and incentives has been implemented for companies actively operating in the area, constructing facilities, launching production sites, and hiring personnel. To date, 20 organisations have utilised this preferential regime.
Today, we will review amendments to tax legislation aimed at fostering more conducive conditions for business.
First, investors seeking to implement new projects on the Kuril Islands while holding a stake exceeding 50% in another entity registered in the territory are currently ineligible for such preferential measures. The proposed adjustment will remove these restrictions.
Second, enterprises that have operated in the region for the past three years and employ the simplified taxation system will now be permitted to apply a reduced insurance contributions rate of 7.6 percent, rather than adhering to the standard framework.
These measures will collectively facilitate the implementation of a greater number of investment projects.
Another key issue concerns our cooperation with the People’s Republic of China, specifically a new agreement on road transportation between our countries.
The agreement was signed in August 2024 during Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Russia and at the regular meeting of the two nations’ heads of state. We are now submitting this protocol for ratification.
One significant change is the expansion of the simplified visa regime to a broader category of citizens. Until now, this benefit was available only to drivers and members of transport crews, freight forwarding agents and interpreters from border regions.
However, cross-border freight transportation continues to grow steadily, with businesses from nearly all Russian regions showing interest. Transport companies from Central Russian and Ural regions have been particularly active.
As the President has emphasised, the People’s Republic of China is Russia’s key foreign trade partner, and Russia now ranks fifth among China’s trade partners. This year, bilateral trade has reached record levels.
In response to this growth, the Government is introducing further measures to create a more comfortable environment for businesses. Now, all Russian citizens engaged in international road transport to China will be eligible for a one-year multiple-entry visa, regardless of their place of residence. The duration of each stay, however, must not exceed 30 days.
We hope that this decision will help expand mutually beneficial cooperation between Russian and Chinese businesses, helping to reduce both delivery costs and wait times for consumers.
Now, on ensuring better protection of our citizens' rights.
The Government has prepared a number of amendments to the applicable regulations. Primarily, these amendments will focus on the interests of the people who have shared property, be it a house, an apartment or other types of property. Data on this manner of use will now be included in the Single State Register of Immovable Property. After all, such information is extremely important for the parties involved in transactions.
If necessary, the data may also be entered into the register by court order if the owners cannot come to agreement. This approach will allow for quicker resolution of disputes, including in cases when it is not possible to allocate a share by mutual agreement.
The amendments also introduce the registration of agreements for the gratuitous use of immovable property if they are concluded for a long period of more than one year, similar to the lease of such property. The measure will allow potential buyers to find out in good time about any existing encumbrances.
The rights of heirs under a will are also specified. Now the register will also indicate the if the testator has granted the right to use residential premises to a third party. This will allow participants to gain a full understanding of the status of the property involved in the transaction.
All the amendments to the Civil Code have been developed, among other considerations, in light of existing court practice in specific cases and should help to reduce potential risks.
This is precisely what the President was referring to when he called for laws to be clearer, more understandable and more effective in terms of enforcement. The Government took this into account while drafting the relevant amendments.
