Deputies air fare debts continue to grow (180 words)

Published: 9/25/2000

Sibir has said that it plans to take court action to recover debts relating to unpaid fares by State Duma's deputies and members of Federation Council. Over the last 2 years State Duma's deputies have acquired a debt of Rb 979,000 (around $35,000) and members of Federation Council more than Rb 1 m. The failure of the state to pay has not been resolved by the election of one of Sibir's own employees Galina Strelchenko, as a Deputy for Novosibirsk, who the airline felt may have put some pressure on the government, and the airline has resolved to take action to recover its money. The issue of state payments for travel by elected and unelected officials is a problem for most airlines in Russia and has led to dramatic action such as the Domodedovo Airlines cancellation to the Far East after the Ministry of Defence failed to settle its bills. Similar complaints have come from elsewhere with Ural Airlines recently questioning whether deputies have such a great need to fly several times every month given the lack of payment by the government.

Article ID: 2089