UPDATE: Peskov: Putin plans no meetings with metals firms on new taxes yet

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MOSCOW, Aug 10 (PRIME) -- Russia’s President Vladimir Putin does not plan an extraordinary meeting with business representatives to discuss the situation in the industry, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

“No such meetings have been scheduled yet because the president has not approved any decisions. The president agreed that the issue should be considered by the government’s experts,” he said.

“(The government) will make corresponding proposals which will take into account the necessity to retain investment abilities of the companies.”

On Thursday, Putin’s aide Andrei Belousov suggested additional up to 500 billion rubles a year taxes on some metals, petrochemical, and fertilizer producers including metals giant Norilsk Nickel, diamond mining giant ALROSA, and petrochemical holding Sibur, as seen by PRIME in the text of Belousov’s letter to Putin.

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that the government will take into consideration the companies’ arguments and consequences for the investment climate while discussing the proposal.

“The government is not preparing any bills on additional growth of taxes in any industry. The key parameters of the adjusted taxation system, effective from January 1, 2019, have been established for the next six years and will not be changed,” he also said.

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