MOSCOW, February 10 (RAPSI) - The State Duma Committee on Budgeting and Taxation will not uphold the bill on ascending tax scale in Russia that would required that wealthier Russians pay 28% of their annual income as income tax, committee's member Yevgeny Fyodorov told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

A Just Russia party initiative proposes setting four scales. Those with annual income of up to five million rubles will have to pay 13% that is the current tax rate. Those with income between five and fifty million rubles will have to pay 18%. Citizens earning between 50 and 500 million will have to pay 23% while those making over 500 million rubles would pay 28%. The bill was submitted in summer 2013.

The parliament member believes the measures will increase tension and discontent in the society.

“Imagine that they will come to millions of people and say: now you have to pay more.” Perhaps we should wait a little until the crisis is over? Or would you like to see people burning tires in Moscow streets?” the lawmaker added.

According to the Federal Statistics Service, some 15.7 million people in Russia are currently below the poverty line and only 10 million have income over 700,000 rubles.