At State Council session

On December 23, the thirteenth session of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan continued its work. The basic question discussed was a bill "On the budget of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2003".

President M.Shajmiev, who took part in the work of the session expressed a wish for the republican tax services to improve their methods of work in the beginning of the new year and get properly engaged in collection of the transport tax and excises from sale of mineral oil.

On December 24, at the last session of XIII plenary session the budget of 2003 was adopted. Its profitable part approximately 7 billion roubles less, than in the present year, and deficiency of the budget makes about 6 percent. The budget incomes make 35,908,707,000 roubles, expenditures - 38,304,633,000 roubles, budgeted deficit made 2,395,926,000 roubles.

The most significant concerning its consequences was the discussion of the information of the Cabinet about realization of the Tatarstan law "On languages of the RT peoples". The question on necessity of reform of the Tatar language was discussed. In his statement, RT President Mintimer Shaimiev said that work on restoration of the Tatar language as a state language should be continued in the republic, and it does not depend on the alphabet. The main thing is to restore the status of the language, the President believes, and after that it will be easier to speak about the script. In his opinion, it is not necessary to be focused on the alphabet problem as Tatars themselves have no sturdy attitude to the Latin. There are equal amount of those who object against it and those who stand up for it. Besides introduction of the Latin will become a bad service to the Tatars from other regions.