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From April 1, social pensions will be increased, Russian software will be installed on gadgets, and driver's license exams will be held in accordance with new rules.
Indexation of Social Pensions
Four types of social pensions are currently paid in Russia. From April 1, they will be indexed by 3.4% to an average of 10,183 rubles ($137.57.) Social pensions will be paid to people who have reached retirement age but do not have a sufficient labor length of services. There are also disability pension and loss-of-breadwinner pension. This type of pension is also assigned to children, whose parents are both unknown.
In addition, pensions will be increased for veterans of the Second World War who have a disability, as well as for persons who received a disability while performing military service. From April 1, the number of pensions paid to the residents affected by man-made disasters will also grow.
No More “Hidden” Discounts on Tobacco
According to the Russian legislation earlier, discounts on tobacco products were prohibited. However, there is such a thing as the maximum retail price of cigarettes, which manufacturers themselves have the right to set. At the same time, the minimum price can be a quarter lower. Lawmakers understood this as a hidden discount. Now, the Ministry of Agriculture, using a special formula, will calculate the unified minimum price (UMP) for tobacco products. The deputies of the State Duma adopted a decision, according to which the minimum price should be set by the state in this case but not the manufacturers. In the future, the UMC will be indexed every year.
Russian Software to be Installed on Gadgets
From April 1, trade-in electronics without Russian software was prohibited. It means that domestic software such as e-mail, social nets, news aggregators, and navigation and mapping systems has to be installed on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and PCs, as well as smart TVs. This includes programs that are used to access the "cloud" storage system.
Beer With new Labeling
It has already been reported in the media that the experiment of labeling beer products is prolonged until August 31, 2022.
Malt and non-alcoholic beer, and also cider, pear cider, mead, other beer drinks are subject to marking. According to experts, the shadow market in Russia amounts to 30-40%, though it mainly concerns strong drinks. Notably, beer is in high demand among the Russians. The country as a whole has thousands of companies that produce low-alcohol beverages without any quality control, which in the end harms the consumer.
New Rules for Driver’s License
The standards for driver's license exams have changed. There will be no "test site" exam in the traffic police. The test will be held in real conditions, i.e. on the roads. Meanwhile, the exam for motorcyclists will be carried out the same way as before. The evaluation system will be also changed. A phone conversation and not fastened belt were grounds for retaking the exam. Now, this is in the category of gross violations. A person must have less than 5 penalty points to pass the exam.
Employees 65+ are Returning to Offices
Since April 1, employees of companies in the 65+ category have returned to the offices. The mandatory remote work regime was canceled for them. Today, it has become advisory.
Procedure for Calculating Social Payments for Children is Changing
From April 2, parents will be able to apply for a recalculation of payments for children aged 3 to 7 years. At present, these payments will directly depend on the total income of the family. Payments will range from 50 to 100% of the child's minimum subsistence level set in the region. It is about 11,500 rubles ($155.36) on average across the country.
Sects to be Blacklisted
From April 14, the Ministry of Justice will keep a special register of banned organizations, including religious and social organizations, as well as those recognized by the court as extreme political groups.