Deputy Vice-Premier Viktor Zubkov has been entrusted with the task of revising the new trade bill.. Officials suspect that this bill, already in the works for nearly two years, will finally be passed by the Duma this Fall.
Sources report that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has given Zubkov only ten days to complete the bill. The latest version of the document was drafted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The Law on Trade was developed over two years ago and, as of last April, was directed toward improving relations between specialized departments. One of the issues causing a disagreement between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture was the proposal to establish a mechanism that would regulate markups on essential goods. The Ministry of Industry and Trade declined to consider amending the bill.
In addition, the Federal Antimonopoly Service has proposed to lower from 35% to 15% the maximum market share a retail chain can command. This has caused much discontent for wholesalers who have opposed the changes being made to the Trade Laws. Deputy Vice-Premier Zubkov was called upon to revise the bill in the beginning of 2009. The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s final draft, which Zubkov is to revise, takes into account the requirements of the Federal Antimonopoly Service but does not clearly define the threshold of dominance.
Alinga Consulting Group
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