Moscow, 23 April. RAO "UES of Russia" (Company) has announced that payments to the budgets of all levels in 2002 increased by 61% compared to 2001. The Company's tax payments to the budgets of all levels in 2002 reached RUB 24,318,281 thousand compared to RUB 15,102,619 thousand in 2001, a 5.2 times increase in RAO UES tax payments from 2000.

The taxes paid by RAO "UES of Russia" in 2002 are comparable to the expenses of the 2002 Federal Budget on the "Health Protection" item (RUB 26.6 billion).

In 2002, RAO "UES of Russia" paid RUB 12,579,601 thousand to the federal budget (an increase of 58% from 2001), RUB 4,664,449 thousand to the budget of Moscow (45% increase), RUB 5,553,565 thousand to the budgets of administrative entities of the Russian Federation (62% increase), and RUB 1,520,666 thousand to the Road Fund (threefold increase).

RAO "UES of Russia" officials emphasize that the Company does not have any unsettled debts owed to the budgets of all levels. Over 2002, RAO "UES of Russia" repaid its arrears of taxes owed to the budget of Moscow City and to the Road Fund, and strictly adhered to the schedule for payment of the restructured debts owed to the federal budget. It should be noted that, over the past two years, all tax payments have been made only in cash.