Russia Tax, Law And Business Briefing 2004

The restructuring of Russia’s legal and regulatory frameworks in the past decade have created new conditions for investment and business ventures, offering both new opportunities and challenges to the prospective investor. Russia Tax, Law & Business Briefing: 2004 provides guidance on tax and legal issues investors should consider when evaluating a possible company acquisition, starting a business or entering into a joint venture or strategic alliance in Russia. Coverage includes:

* An analysis of Russia’s overall economy in the context of its strong oil and gas sectors, including the macroeconomic effects of changes in oil prices;

* The restructuring and resulting creditworthiness of Russian banks five years after the 1998-1999 financial crisis;

* A discussion of the performance of the Russian ruble against the dollar and the euro, and the resulting impact on Russia’s trade balance and inflation rate;

* Drugstore chain 36.6’s successful launching of the first IPO in Russia by a retail company, and the second domestic IPO in the country’s history; and

* The prospects for project financing in Russia’s fossil fuels sector, as well as other restructuring and privatization developments in the energy market.