Content №4 от 2003
Use of mineral resources and problems of resource areas viewed from the position of Russian federalism.
The process of unification and formalization of relations among different levels of state government in the sphere of use of mineral resources that is underway leads actually to elimination from joint competence (ownership, use and disposal) of such a subject as the state fund of mineral resources. The recent changes in this field and in taxation of mineral resources are designed to return the paternalistic model to the social and economic development of the resource areas. These areas are in fact excluded not only from joint management of the state fund of mineral resources, but also from participation in decisions that concern their own social and economic problems. These things, along with fiscal taxation of the resource sector, cannot be expected to improve the efficiency in the use of national resource potential.