Zee Beam News

28.01.2005 14:09 MSK MosNews - Privatization deals of the past may be declared invalid if "serious damage to the state" was done. Such a point of view was declared on Friday, Jan. 28, by one of the main liberals of President Putin's government, Economy Minister German Gref. Gref also told reporters that no considerable indulgences should be expected from the amendments to the Tax Code which are currently being prepared by the Economy Ministry. The minister said that there will be no such thing as tax amnesty or introduction of a backstop limitation period for privatization deals. Otherwise, said Gref, "half of the Civil Code would have to be re-written as well".  Itar-Tass also reported Gref as saying that the problem of privatization deals is above all “political, and not legal”. "We should not look for crimes in ordinary deals. The deals should be divided into criminal and non-criminal," said the official.