He said that when an administrative reform was launched it was declared that the state should be left with only such property as is needed for it to fulfill its functions.
Currently there are some 40,000 state-run and municipal institutions in the country, Gref remarked. "This is a colossal number unmatched by anything else in any other country," the minister said.
Another important area, according to him, is to increase returns from the sales of military stores. Nearly all governors are pointing to surplus army property on their territories that is lying idle, Gref pointed out. He said the Defense Ministry is also interested in increasing the turnover of military equipment. "It is necessary to provide the required legal preconditions," Gref said.
One more problem of privatization, the minister said, is delimitation of ownership rights over cultural monuments. Only monuments of nationwide importance should be left in federal charge, with the rest to be passed over to constituent members of the federation for subsequent privatization or handing over to religious institutions, the minister believes.
The Russian government in general approved on Thursday a plan of measures to improve the management of federal property.
In summing up the discussion, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov instructed the Economic Development and Trade Ministry and other departments concerned to draft before April 20 the necessary enabling legislation.
After noting that privatization is the "correct way", Fradkov nevertheless urged the government "not to weigh towards sales".
"This bias should be balanced with greater efficiency of state property management," he believes.
