YEREVAN, February 12. / ARKA /. A bill submitted by Russian president Vladimir Putin to parliament prohibits officials even from holding bank accounts in overseas subsidiaries of Russian banks to pay for education and treatment, a deputy State Duma speaker Sergey Zheleznyak from the ruling United Russian party told reporters, RIA Novosti reported.

He said the importance of restrictions and prohibitions on possession of accounts and business assets abroad by officials was highlighted by the president in his address to the Federal Assembly. An appropriate bill was passed in the first reading last December. It allowed, in particular, officials to have overseas bank accounts to pay for medical and educational services. Now this bill will have to be adjusted in accordance with the legislative initiative of the president, Zheleznyak said.

"Presidential initiatives do not limit opportunities for travel, treatment and education abroad, which can be paid from accounts in Russian banks,” Zheleznyak said.

The presidential bill also prohibits officials to open accounts in foreign subsidiaries of Russian banks. Earlier, a proposal to allow such accounts was voiced by Sberbank head German Gref, who was supported by the head of VTB Andrei Kostin, but the head of the anti-corruption committee of the State Duma Irina Yarovaya was strongly opposed to it.

The bill cuts from one year to three months the time within which civil servants, parliamentarians and judges will have to close their foreign accounts. -0-