Yury Turtnev tops list of rich ministers in Russia

Moscow, Oct 27 (UNI) Russian Natural Resources Minister Yury Turtnev has topped the list of rich ministers in President Vladimir Putin-led cabinet.

Russian Cabinet ministers are required to declare their incomes under a decree issued by former President Boris Yeltsin in 1997.

Mr Turtnev earned 7.88 million dollars last year, occupying the top place in the list of rich ministers published today by government-controlled newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

The politician, who earned 176 times more than the country's Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref, replaces the Transport Minister Igror Levitin, 2004's highest earner, to claim the spot. Mr Gref came last in the list of 20 ministers, earning a mere 44,700 dollars.

Mr Levitin, who came second with 447,300 dollars, is followed by Information Technology Minister Leonid Reiman, with income totalling 417,400 dollars.

However, Mr Reiman, with his five large apartments, a country house and two large plots of land, is the wealthiest minister in terms of property.

The average annual wage in Russia, last year, was about 4000 dollars.

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