TAX NEWS - June 2010

Russian Federation Tax: Tax Official Named to Defense Post

President Dmitry Medvedev appointed Nadezhda Sinikova, a former tax official, as the new head of the Federal Arms Procurement Agency on Thursday, replacing Viktor Cherkesov, who was fired for unspecified reasons Sunday, Interfax reported.

Medvedev said Sinikova's main tasks will be procuring quality equipment and saving state money. He added that the agency, established in 2007, has failed to produce any positive results so far.

Sinikova, born in 1955, has worked in the Federal Tax Service since 1990 and was deputy head of the service before being appointed last month as an adviser to Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, himself a former tax chief.