The Prosecutor General's office again dissatisfied Medina. Now import of cultural values
ARTinvestment.RU   06 сентября 2016

The General Prosecutor of the Russian Federation has brought representation to the Minister of culture of the Russian Federation. For 6 years, the Ministry failed to adopt a formal procedure for import by citizens to Russia of cultural property for personal use

the Information was published on the official website of the Prosecutor General on 5 September 2016. The claims relate to the procedure for the import of works of art for personal use. By law, everything should be free. As for duty – it is, she will not be charged. And complaints it received. So what's the deal? Claims three. And to understand the nature of the problem will require a lengthy quote from the report of the Prosecutor General:

"On its official website on the Internet, the Ministry of culture of Russia has placed information about the temporal order of the letters-подтверждений of relating to cultural values imported by physical persons of objects, to which established a fee to the citizens for their inspection (examination). However, the Federal law "On export and import of cultural values" provides for a fee for examination only in respect of imported cultural values.

the Current situation prevents the implementation of the Agreement signed in the rights of citizens on the import of cultural property for personal use without paying customs duties and creates prerequisites for corruption on the part of customs officers and experts.

in addition, entrusted to the Ministry of culture the functions of control and registration of imported cultural values it actually gave commercial organizations (NINE them. Tretyakov – approx. ed.) on the basis of the concluded state contract on rendering of services on gathering and processing information issued by the Agency experts, the evidence of relating to those items are imported by citizens in Russia. In this case the same functions of the territorial administration Ministry.

moreover, the Ministry authorized for examination of imported cultural values, 78 specialists, and contracted commercial organization carries out the collection and processing of information in relation to letters-подтверждений issued only 12 experts, of which 10 are employees".

in Other words, this time violations the Prosecutor's office sees that the examination of import charges, accounting functions of the imported values is delegated to a third party, and the number allowed to question experts artificially limited.

But there are oddities. the Procedure of importation cultural values for a long time and is disclosed in detail on the website of the Ministry of culture. And complaints with collectors of customs regarding duty-free import we have not heard. Market this problem is not discussed. And discussed would necessarily where the problem was. So don't really want me to stand up for Vladimir Medina, but apparently necessary. Because many of the charges of the Prosecutor's office does not tally with the actual state of Affairs.

Comment on the claim to the Ministry of culture AI asked Alexander Popov – Director of NINE them. Tretyakov – that "commercial organizations", which the Ministry of culture allegedly illegal (in the opinion of the attorney General) to delegate his functions. Then pass in your own words what I said Popov. Regarding payment of examinations at the entrance to the airport – Yes, the experts take the money. Take officially and the money is quite reasonable – in NINE, it is from 2500 rubles per item, and in large quantities – big discounts. Formally did not take letters-подтверждения (this is according to the law should be free), but only for inspection. But how else? Costs is, to airport need-то to get and time to spend. The Ministry of culture, the experts do not pay the salary. But free ride to the airport, to work for fun, no one is ready (weird, right)? However, the law does not prohibit expert to take money for their services. And that take. Experts, NINE conclude the contract for the inspection on behalf of the NINE. Other experts draw up the contract to other structures or myself in IE. All the issue is solved by-разному. Accordingly, any of the 78 experts (as in the message of the Prosecutor General) can come to the airport and to work. No one can anyone deny or as-то else to discriminate against. the Contacts of all of experts authorized to issue letters-подтверждений published on the website of the Ministry of culture – customers can choose any without restriction. But really to do it few are ready. At NINE this issue is more convenient than the other: on this website you can apply for the examination online with the number of the flight that the examiner waited for the client. There you can pay by card online. They are more active in this matter, maybe that's why they get the bumps.

What remains of the published claims? What the Ministry doesn't pay work of experts from the budget and has transferred this question to self-sufficiency?

In General, the feeling that this time Medina for the work of the Ministry have not got. Not that last time.

last time, three months ago, Vladimir Medinsky received a submission from the Prosecutor General's office for violations in the organization of export of cultural values. It was the end of may. And sounded claims is much more menacing. The Prosecutor General gave to understand that the Ministry creates conditions for illegal export of cultural values abroad, turning a blind eye to the abuses of the experts, lowered hundreds of times the cost of the works of art that contributes to the loss of taxes from their sale. At the same time, remember, it was revealed that the experts accredited by the Ministry of culture, significantly understate the value of work for payment of customs duties and were given permission to export abroad Russian paintings and drawings, which are then at a real high price sold at Sotheby's and other auctions. In England, these paintings were sold, at times, in 245 times more expensive than they were "appreciated" in Russia.

Then, at the end of the scandal, the Ministry of culture reported that perpetrators of abuses are dismissed. The problem was real, and since then, the situation with export is really tightened. And now time to import, the problems which were significantly lower. And these problems are concentrated in another place. They concern, for example, situations when you need to temporarily import a picture to do in Russia, examination on it. If, after examination unknown artist become a famous artist, and the status of the pattern changes suddenly at Shishkin, Shishkin as this latter-day now to take – that's an interesting question. In comparison with which any pay checks for 2500 rubles, and the lack of choice of experts – it's just the little things of life.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI

Sources: genproc.gov.ru, kommersant.ru, artinvestment.ru, interfax.ru