MOSCOW, March 2. Public funding of NGOs for a total of 6 billion rubles, reducing it is not planned. This was announced by the Minister of justice Alexander Konovalov, speaking in the Federation Council at a “Government hour”.
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According to him, last year, “state financing of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) only at the Federal level was increased to 4 billion 200 million rubles.” “The total amount of support amounted to more than 6 billion rubles”, – informed the Minister.
He said that “in the current year to reduce the budget of nonprofit organizations is not planned, despite the troubled economic situation in the world and in the country.”
According to Konovalova, the field of non-profit organizations in Russia is developing successfully.
The Minister of justice reported that last year there were 16 thousand 315 new non-profit organizations, that is by 6.1% more than the year before. “Applications for the establishment of non-profit organizations received 75 thousand, that on 16% more than the similar indicator of the year 2014”, – informed the head of Department.
“This suggests that the information or the assumption that the life of the “third sector” froze and podelena “repressive” legislation not only exaggerated, but completely untrue”, – concluded the Minister of justice.
“Foreign agents” has received almost 1 billion roubles from abroad
Non-profit organizations (NPOs), entered in the register of “foreign agents”, received last year, nearly 1 billion roubles from abroad, said the head of the Ministry of justice.
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“It is remarkable to note that only in the past year to organizations that have already been included in the registry of foreign agents, was in the amount of almost a billion rubles”, – informed the head of Department.
Konovalov also stressed that “the law (on NGOs-“foreign agents”) is not repressive in nature. It does not provide, does not imply restrictions in the legal status of organizations”. He did not rule out that “the hype and sometimes hysteria is partly about the implementation of this law lies in the plane of political struggle”.
Answering the questions of senators about the sources of foreign funding for Russian NGOs, Konovalov said that for the Ministry the important fact of obtaining funds from any foreign source. “The main thing is the non – Russian jurisdiction” – he explained.
“I say this, including those who questioned the decision of justice in the famous story of the Dynasty Foundation (the Ministry of justice in may 2015, have recognized the Fund as a “foreign agent”, after which the Fund ceased operations – approx.)”, – said Konovalov. “Yes, honor and praise to the Lord (the head of Fund Dmitry) Zimin for the fact that he supported young scientists, young talents. But it did not give him the right to break the law, firstly, and secondly, to provoke obstructive attitude to his country,” the Minister added, Recalling that Zimin was financed by the Fund of funds located outside the Russian Federation.
The law on “foreign agents” was adopted in the summer of 2012. He obliges organizations engaged in political activity and receiving funding from abroad, to accept the status of “foreign agents” with the subsequent entering in a special register. They must indicate your status when publishing materials on the Internet and the media. For evading this requirement is subject to a fine.
For nearly two years obtaining the status was voluntary, but in early June 2014 signed a law allowing the justice Ministry to independently include in the register of “foreign agents” of the organization, which in fact are not, but they made no application.
