MOSCOW, March 15 (RAPSI) – Russian government has approved a bill that aims to curb abusive debt collection practices, RBC Daily reported on Tuesday.

The bill submitted by Sergei Naryshkin, the speaker of State Duma, and Valentina Matvienko, the speaker of the Federation Council, expressly prohibits debt collectors from using physical force against debtors, being abusive, unfair or deceptive in trying to collect a debt.

The bill also prohibits debt collectors from informing third parties about debt including relatives and colleagues, publishing the information about debtors online and posting it elsewhere.

Moreover, the bill limits communication between collectors and debtors. Personal meetings are allowed no more than once a week, while collectors can call debtors no more than twice a week.

Under the bill, debtors are allowed to reject any offers for cooperation with collectors.

The bill was introduced amid shocking incidents involving debt collectors which occurred lately throughout Russia.

In January, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the window of a wooden house in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk. A 2-year-old child was badly burned and sent to a hospital. The boy was saved by his grandfather, who also received injuries in the fire.

The bomb was allegedly thrown by a collector seeking repayment of a debt. Shortly after the incident, a man was arrested and later charged with an attempted murder.

As a result, Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika got the situation related to activity of debt collectors under his own control. According to prosecutors, collectors often harass and abuse people who owe money.