MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's federal spending on defense, security and law enforcement will be increased by 44.2 billion rubles ($1.66 million) this year.
"The decision was made by the State Duma's committees while preparing a bill on amendments to the 2006 Federal Budget Law for debate in a second reading," Nikolai Bezborodov, a member of the Defense Committee, told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday.
An additional 24.1 billion rubles ($904.08 million) will go to national defense and 9.6 billion rubles ($360.13 million) to national security, which in the aggregate is tantamount to a 2.8% increase in defense and security-related spending, the deputy said.
The figures cited are almost identical to those proposed by deputies when the 2006 budget was being debated in the autumn of 2005. "The practice of amending the current budget in the fourth quarter is common," he said.