Public Chamber dissatisfied with State Duma's little attention to NCOs

The Public Chamber of the Russian Federation (RF) is dissatisfied with the State Duma: during the recent four years the legislators have failed to pass at least a law in support of the activities of non-commercial organizations (NCOs) and patrons of art.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by political scientist Inna Prikhozhan, head of the Institute of Civil Society and a member of the Public Chamber of the Volgograd Region, who took part in the experts' meeting of the Commission of the RF's Public Chamber for Development of Civil Society, held in early November in Moscow.

The experts' meeting sharply criticized the lawmaking practice of the 4th Convocation State Duma, which has failed to pass at least one law on environment preservation. The experts also criticized the Forestry Code and execution of the national projects, which were not brought to any broad public debate.

In the opinion of Ms Prikhozhan, the drawbacks of the legislation "are severely undermining NCOs' budgets." She has noted that "now, the NCOs' accounting by using new forms takes by 40 percent more funds than the accounting run by commercial organizations: up to 40,000 roubles a year."

In fact, the state gives no financial assistance to NCOs. "The law on charitable activities, as a matter of fact, is the law to ban them. Now, money from patrons of art arrives to NCOs, basically, under the so-called 'grey schemes'. One should add here a very strict tax control. You know that NCOs and, say, the "Gazprom" have equal volume of tax reporting?"

Another problem is related to unreasonably high tariff increase for rent of premises. According to Inna Prikhozhan, many NCOs lost their premises, which had been rented by them since 1990 (up to 40 percent of NCOs - only in 2005-2006).