page_title: Mikhail Kasyanov
section_title: Prime Minister
hierarchical_section_title: Mikhail Kasyanov / Prime Minister
caption_attribution_description: English: THE KREMLIN, MOSCOW. With Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov at a meeting of the State Council Presidium.Русский: МОСКВА, КРЕМЛЬ. С Председателем Правительства Михаилом Касьяновым на заседании президиума Государственного совета.
context_page_description: Mikhail Mikhailovich Kasyanov is a Russian politician who served as Prime Minister of Russia from 2000 to 2004. Previously he had served as First Deputy Prime Minister in 2000 and Minister of Finance from 1999 to 2000. During the 1990s he worked in President Boris Yeltsin's administration in different positions before joining President Vladimir Putin's first administration. Since leaving the government over disagreements on economic policy, he has become one of the leading critics of President Putin and an opposition leader.
  In 2008, Kasyanov was a candidate in the election of President of Russia but in the middle of the campaign was denied participation on political grounds. In 2010, he co-founded the coalition For Russia without Lawlessness and Corruption People's Freedom Party "For Russia without Lawlessness and Corruption" and became one of the leaders of the People's Freedom Party. He was an active speaker during the 2011–2013 Russian protests for fair elections. Since 2015, he has served as the leader of the political party People's Freedom Party. In 2005–2007, he was one of the leaders of the opposition coalition The Other Russia and democratic protest movement.
context_section_description: On 17 May 2000 Russian State Duma approved Mikhail Kasyanov's Prime Minister candidacy. The Chairman of the Cabinet started pursuing the policy of active collaboration with business community and civil society.
  During its four-year term Kasyanov's Cabinet launched a number of structural reforms – tax and budget reform, liberalization of capital control and external trade, customs reform, reorganization of national infrastructure, pension reform, creation of land market and others. Successful implementation of systemic transformation measures led Russia to a trajectory of sustainable economic growth. Inflation was reduced significantly, the economy and people's income grew by one third while oil prices were at the level of $20–25 per barrel.
  Experts think that the tax reform of 2000-2002 was one of the most successful reforms of Kasyanov's Cabinet. A flat income tax rate (13%) was introduced. All turnover taxes were eliminated. VAT was reduced to 18% and social taxes — to 26%. These measures together with the policy of strong fiscal discipline significantly increased budget revenue.
  In addition to this in 2003 Kasyanov's Cabinet reformed the taxation of petroleum sector and established a special Stabilization fund. As a result, the budget revenue stream from this sector has increased and the Stabilization Fund has started accumulating significant amounts of foreign exchange creating a financial airbag for the country.
  It was a time of an overall financial liberalization.
  An important achievement of Kasyanov's Cabinet was the successful implementation of the small business encouragement policy. Introduction of simplified taxation system, easy state registration of businesses and ban on frequent inspections by state agencies were among those measures.
  It was during Mikhail Kasyanov's time as Russian Prime Minister that the transfer of agricultural lands to private property began. Additionally to that credit support mechanism for agricultural production was introduced and  Russia very rapidly again became one of the leading exporters of grain after decades of huge annual import of wheat.
  Kasyanov was dismissed, along with the entire Russian cabinet, by President Vladimir Putin on 24 February 2004 after more than three years in office, two weeks before the 2004 Russian presidential election on 14 March. There were disagreements between Kasyanov and Putin on matters of policy. The President stated on national television "This decision bears no relation to any assessment of the performance of the former composition of the government. It was dictated by my desire to once again delineate my position on the issue of what development course the country will take after March 14, 2004."
caption: Kasyanov with Vladimir Putin, 2000
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