PRESS: Russian think-tank calls on govt to control IT companies

MOSCOW, Dec 7 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Center for Strategic Research has suggested extending to Internet companies the law obliging them to consult on foreign investment and significant corporate actions with the government’s investment commission, business daily Kommersant reported on Wednesday.

According to the center’s November report entitled “Control over Foreign Influence in the IT Sector as Exemplified by the Classifieds Market,” the fixed limit of foreign participation in the capital, like those for media, do not correspond to “a special nature” of the sector on the whole, the daily reported.

The authors proposed to agree upon investment of foreigners in IT companies and important actions – like re-location of infrastructure abroad, alienation of rights or part of business, appointment of foreigners on the board of directors, and others – with the government commission on investment.

The measures are aimed “to keep investment attractiveness of the Russian IT sector,” the daily reported.

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