US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Washington's latest sanctions 'show our global reach in imposing severe costs on Putin’s oligarchs'. AFP
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Washington's latest sanctions 'show our global reach in imposing severe costs on Putin’s oligarchs'. AFP
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Washington's latest sanctions 'show our global reach in imposing severe costs on Putin’s oligarchs'. AFP
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Washington's latest sanctions 'show our global reach in imposing severe costs on Putin’s oligarchs'. AFP

Scores of Russian elites and businesses hit by new US sanctions


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More than 100 Russian elites and businesses linked with Moscow's military and industrial bases were targeted by Washington's latest sanctions imposed on Thursday.

The sanctions focus on people who benefit from, support and sustain Russia's war against Ukraine, a Treasury Department statement said.

“Individuals and entities who profit from invasion and their proximity to the Kremlin will be held accountable and today’s actions show our global reach in imposing severe costs on Putin’s oligarchs,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

Among those targeted in the latest tranche of sanctions was Andrei Bokarev, an oligarch with close ties to Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and other Kremlin officials.

Other groups linked to Russia's technology supply chain also had sanctions imposed, as well as Moscow's industrial base and construction sector.

Washington also targeted five Turkish companies accused of helping Russia to evade sanctions and supporting Moscow in the war in Ukraine.

The State Department also imposed sanctions on 70 Russian people and businesses.

Meanwhile, Moscow expelled two American diplomats after Russia's Foreign Ministry alleged them of being involved in “illegal activity”, the Associated Press has reported.

Jeffrey Sillin, first secretary at the US embassy in Russia, and David Berstein, the second secretary, were alleged to have “kept in touch” with a former employee there who was arrested this year accused of collecting information about the war in Ukraine.

Lynne Tracy, US ambassador to Russia, was summoned to the ministry and informed the pair were being expelled.

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

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Updated: September 14, 2023, 3:59 PM`