ST. PETERSBURG, July 10 (RIA Novosti) – The Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, approved a bill on Wednesday that will mean Russians cannot be prevented from traveling abroad over debts of less than 10,000 rubles ($300).
The current legislation sets no minimal limits on unpaid fines and taxes that can be used to stop Russians leaving the country, meaning bailiffs have been within their rights to impose a travel ban on people for debts of as little as several hundred rubles. The bill, when signed into law, will prohibit bailiffs from putting travel restrictions on Russians if their total debts do not exceed the 10,000-ruble sum.
One of the bill’s authors, Nadezhda Shkolkina, a lawmaker from the United Russia party in the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, earlier said many debtors could not leave the country over minor sums.
She also said she hoped the Federal Bailiff Service would promptly ensure the computerization of the system for debt payments of over 10,000 rubles at Russian airports.
The bill will now be submitted to the Russian president to be signed into law.
