Russia Duma tightens domestic economic controls to support war operations News
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Russia Duma tightens domestic economic controls to support war operations

Russia’s State Duma Wednesday adopted two bills that would allow the government to introduce “special measures in the economic sphere” to support Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, including mandating businesses to carry out assigned government contracts.

The first bill includes measures such as taking action relating to financial and material-technical security, temporarily reactivating mobilization capacities and facilities, unbooking assets in the state reserves, and mandating overtime work outside normal working hours.

An explanatory note accompanying the bills says that these economic measures would help meet the short-term increased need for repair and provisions of weapons and military equipment.

Additionally, the bill, if passed, would amend three federal procurement laws to include provisions for government contracts created to procure goods, labor, and services to carry out these special measures. The first would allow government to create such contracts; the second would prohibit contractors from refusing to carry out any such contract; and the third would allow the government to modify these contracts, at will, to increase or decrease the volume of goods and labor and to change prices accordingly.

The second bill amends the Labor Code to accommodate the overtime work provision. The amendments are added “in order to eliminate contradictions between the draft provisions… with the provisions of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation,” says the explanatory note, “in the event that the Government of the Russian Federation decides to introduce special measures in the economic sphere.” 

Chairman of the Defense Committee Andrei Kartapolov said “[These] innovations will help increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the comprehensive and timely provision of the Armed Forces, other troops, military formations and bodies with everything necessary for their tasks.” 

The bills will be presented to the Federation Council for further consideration.