Russia to slim its bureaucracy

MOSCOW, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed an order reducing the number of federal officials by 20 percent through 2013, officials said.

Under the decree, the number of officials will be reduced by 5 percent in 2011 and 2012 and then by 10 percent in 2013, ITAR-Tass reported Monday.

Russia's bureaucracy has exploded, with the number of federal officials almost doubling in the past five years from about 600,000 to more than 1.1 million, RIA Novosti said.

The measure to reduce it could save up to $1.3 billion out of the Russian federal budget, RIA Novosti reported.