Top Russian govt. officials to file personal income declarations

PanARMENIAN.Net - Top Russian government officials will meet an annual April 1 deadline to file personal declarations of income, which will be compiled and published within a month, a Kremlin spokesman said Friday, according to RIA Novosti.

Russia has significantly improved its budget transparency in recent years, including the adoption of legislation obliging senior officials, including the president and prime minister as well as their family members, to report their income by April 1 each year.

"No doubt, all the documents will be filed within the established term and published after the data is compiled," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding the process had been completed on time in previous years.

In 2012, President Vladimir Putin reported an income of 5.8 million rubles ($186,000), up from 3.7 million in 2011, when he was Russia's prime minister. Putin also stated he owns a 1,500-square meter plot of land in the Moscow region, a 77-square meter apartment in St. Petersburg, as well as three Russian-made automobiles.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev earned 5.8 million rubles in 2012, up from around 3.4 million rubles in 2011, when he was Russia's president. Medvedev also has a 367-square meter apartment, which he owns together with his wife, and two cars.

A 2012 survey released by the International Budget Partnership found that Russia reveals more about the income and spending of its officials than Germany and Spain.