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RIA Novosti
The interdepartmental Commission for development of the volunteer movement should be launched in July 2017, according to the action plan in this area, developed on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The plan was first presented in Kazan, the co-chair of the Association of volunteer centres, the member of the Public chamber of the Russian Federation of the sixth convocation Artem Metelev.
“In the work of the interdepartmental Commission will involve most departments. The action plan aims to involve in its implementation of most Federal agencies (Ministry of education, Ministry of labor, Ministry of health, interior Ministry, emergencies Ministry, Ministry of justice, etc., Federal Agency for youth Affairs, Ministry of economic development)”, – he said the correspondent of TASS.
He described volunteering as a pervasive phenomenon, noting that volunteers can be found in any industry or sphere of public life. “And to coordinate their activities, a multisectoral approach is required. Now this is the Federal Agency for youth Affairs, his key role should remain, because in most regions the development of volunteering within the competence of the authorities of youth Affairs. But we understand that it is necessary in this work to involve other departments,” said Metelev.
Also to may it is planned to develop criteria and to assess the contribution of volunteering to the development of Russia. “According to the action plan, by may 2018, it is necessary to develop a methodology and conduct an assessment of the contribution of the volunteer movement in socio-economic development of the country. Then such a report will be made annually. For comparison: it is estimated, for example, the contribution of volunteers to the economy of the U.S. is about $75 billion,” he said.
Project coordinator of Department of investments into the social sphere of the direction “Social projects” Agencies of strategic initiatives Alice Babin cited another example: in Canada, the proportion of the contribution of volunteering to GDP is equal to the share of mechanical engineering.
Be exempt from taxes
In addition, according to Meteleva, there is a proposal to exempt organization buying for volunteers anything, from payment of personal income tax and insurance contributions. “If a volunteer organization buys for volunteers goods and services, according to the cost it will be exempt from paying insurance contributions and personal income tax. This will encourage the organizers of the volunteer activity. This practice exists in other industries and fields, it is possible to transfer to the volunteer movement. Charities and volunteer organizations so not so many resources, so this measure is intended in some degree to help them work,” he explained.
In the message to the Federal Assembly December 1, Putin said about the need to “remove all barriers to the development of volunteering” in Russia and urged the strategic initiatives Agency and the Public chamber of the subject to maintain proper movement and non-profit organizations. Then the President charged to 30 April 2017 to prepare an action plan for the development of the volunteer movement, including standards for the interaction of volunteers with the authorities.
The Cabinet of Ministers to consider and approve this plan and to ensure its implementation. A report from the government of the Russian Federation on this issue must be made before June 30, 2017, further – once in six months.