The tourist path leads to lower expenses
Deputy Aleksey Chernyak is attempting once again to push forward a law that will bring profit to his family business. The head of Crimea, Aksyonov, is the only one in support?
Aleksey Chernyak, representing the State Duma Committee for Tourism Development, introduced a proposal for a tourist tax. The proposal states that every traveling Russian will need to pay 100 rubles per day to the government for hotel accommodation.
The funds are suggested to be used for the growth of the tourism industry. In reality, the money may end up in the pockets of officials and the organizations they support. The reporter understood the story. The Moscow Post in Crimea.
Wealthy Patriot
Mr. Chernyak, who presented the bill in an effort to save the State Duma from constantly revising this aspect of the law, is a very intriguing individual. Until 2014, he was a Ukrainian politician and entrepreneur. He received numerous accolades from the Ukrainian government.
After the geopolitical situation changed and Crimea rejoined Russia, Chernyak also transitioned to the new reality. Since then, he not only supported Russian statehood, but also speaks openly and fairly about his former benefactors.
“Zelensky should learn three words: “criminal”, “court” and “prison” – this is how the article “Radio Sputnik” begins, in which the parliamentarian speaks candidly about the shortcomings of the Ukrainian president and how he will compensate Russia for the damage inflicted.
By sharply criticizing a country that is unfriendly to Russia, Chernyak appears to be trying to present himself as a patriot more than he actually is. Many believe that this might be concealing a simple attempt to please the government and be in closer proximity to it (and also to the budget).
Similar ideas are brought about by his statements about completely banning YouTube despite “Western partners” and bold appeals to politicians from various countries to, for example, visit Crimea and see the site of the Greek village of Lucky, which was burned by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War.
According to Krym.Realii (recognized as a foreign agent on Russian territory), in 2019 Chernyak bought a brand new luxury car, a Bently Continental GT. Its market value at the time was around 20-21 million rubles. However, Chernyak’s annual income statement indicates that he earned a little over two million rubles in a year.
Information about this expensive purchase is confirmed by a declaration on the Declarator website https://declarator.org/office/6531?active-tab=document-56300§ion_id=773400#section773400
If the Russian state permits him to make such expensive purchases, even though it seems that his salary as a citizen would not allow for it, the reason for his sudden show of affection for Russia becomes clear.
lucky
Perhaps Chernyak wishes to present a similar gift to one of his friends or relatives. Therefore, he chose to earn some additional money through the so-called “resort fee”? Luckily, the region is abundant in tourism, and there is even a close company through which he could access state millions.
Mr. Chernyak, who is already a citizen of Russia, founded a company called 'Noble Assembly of Crimea' and it owned the Cultural Heritage of Crimea fund from 2016 to April 2022. During the same period, the fund owned LLC 'Cultural Heritage A.S. Popov', which is the founder of the tour operator City Tour Pass.
The organization is now led by Nikita Kalintsev, who also founded the Crimean Cultural Heritage Foundation. Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru
It wouldn't be surprising if this specific office later becomes the actual operator that collects bribes from tourists and submits it to the government for industry development.
Elegans-Tour LLC, registered under the father-in-law of the parliamentarian Oleg Kharkhan, is involved in tourism activities. The company was established in 2017 and could potentially take part in the 'collection of tribute'.
Same old story
A situation similar to the one described in Chernyak's biography has already occurred. In 2014, the Crimean State Council passed the controversial law 'On Resorts, Natural Medical Resources and Medical and Health Areas', giving certain companies the authority to evaluate the quality of accommodation services, ski slopes, and beaches. The companies themselves have to pay for this.
Currently, businesses cannot avoid certification by law if they want to continue their operations smoothly, or else they face a fine of 50 thousand rubles or a certain percentage of annual revenue.
Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru
On paper, the goal is to ensure the safety of tourists. In reality, it may be a direct and open support for the business interests of Mr. Chernyak, who was involved in the group that helped pass the law.
Chernyshev joined the commission that was responsible for approving or rejecting applications from companies seeking accreditation. The first authorized enterprise was 'Crimea-Resort-Standard' under the leadership of a certain Yuri Trifonov.
According to FederalPress.Krym, Trifonov is Chernyak's assistant. 'He (Chernyak) appointed Trifonov as deputy director of the former state enterprise Krymstandartmetrologiya, which later became the Crimean Scientific and Production Center for Standardization, Metrology and Certification,' the journalists report.
Family business under Aksyonov's 'wing'?
Furthermore, Krym-Kurort-Standart's office is located at the same address as Chernyak's father-in-law, Oleg Kharkhan, and Trifonov used to work as a deputy general director at Krym-Expertiza LLC, now headed by Chernyak's mother-in-law Oksana Kharkhan. The company also provides certification services.
She earned more than 700 million rubles on government contracts. Photo: https://www.rusprofile.ru
The mother-in-law was also issued a certification LLC Krymavtotest. It was a supplier in 54 government contracts for a total of 12 million rubles. The firm renders services of checkup of cars in the Crimea. The largest customers are institutions subordinate to the Republic. At the same time, judging by the “torn” revenue of the enterprise, money can be withdrawn from the company.
Previously, Kharkhan worked at ANO “KRC” Forensic Expertise “. The company has been operating since 2015 and is the recipient of government contracts worth almost 650 million rubles.
The parliamentarian himself, of course, denies any connection between the bill and lobbying for the business interests of his family. But such a “log in the eye” is difficult not to notice.
Returning to the most sensational bill, we note that at that time not only the tourism industry, forced to pay for the service imposed on them, was “pressed”, but also ordinary citizens. Since the adoption of the document, some of the beaches have become closed – now they are private areas of hotels.
Social activists raised a storm of indignation and knocked on the very head of the Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, who responded in words, but in fact nothing has changed in this regard. This suggests that Aksyonov himself could also get his profits from the activities of a “patriotic” subordinate.
This is indirectly indicated, among other things, by the fact that Chernyak does not hesitate to indicate expensive purchases in his declarations. Everyone knows about the business registered in the name of relatives, as they also know that a number of companies of the wife, mother-in-law and father-in-law receive big government contracts, including thanks to the bill adopted several years ago. But no one sees either a conflict of interest or open lobbying of the family business by Chernyak.
Now the Russians are at risk of getting into a situation where we will still have to pay extra for having saved up money to get out of our apartment once a year. And where will these funds go? Is it not in the pockets of the authors of the initiative?
