Hard but realistic

Last Friday Budget 2016 passed the first reading. As noted Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at the plenary session of the State Duma the document was prepared in difficult economic conditions. Thus according to the Government all social obligations are met. This is the first time since 2008, when the budget is not for three years, but for year. The document is based on the basic forecast of Economic Development: the price of oil - $ 50 per barrel, the dollar - 63.3 rubles, and inflation forecast - 6.4%. Communists and members of "The Fair Russia" voted against. Representatives of "The Fair Russia" even handed over the alternative text of the budget for next year to the Government.

Budget revenues are expected to be 13 738.5 billion rubles - 17.5% of GDP. In particular, the volume of oil and gas revenues will be 6 044.9 billion rubles, others - 7 693.6 billion rubles. Costs are coming at the rate of 16 098.7 billion rubles. Deficit is 2 360.19 billion rubles. The budget is called hard, but realistic, since it was formed in difficult conditions of instability in world markets and the sanctions introduced by Russia against Western countries.

Chairman of the Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes Andrey Makarov said that there are three main priorities of the budget. First - this is the state of implementation of the assumed social obligations. Second - the definition of points of growth, which will provide an opportunity for economic growth. Third - Support for the regions.

Representatives of opposition factions are most worried about social theme. They talked about the fact that the budget pages do not show concern for the people. The opposite is true: the budget parameters for 2016 are driving the Russians out of poverty, which is already about 22 million people. Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, reminded his colleagues that at the beginning of the autumn session on behalf of the Communist Party proposed a program to bring the country out of the crisis and the formation of a qualitatively different budget.

According to the first deputy head of "The Fair Russia" faction Mikhail Emelyanov, there is an urgent necessity to adopt a law on a progressive scale of taxation, to introduce a luxury tax, a tax on conspicuous consumption, as well as to cancel the VAT refund to exporters of raw materials. All this will give the budget to 1 trillion 700 billion rubles.

According to official data, the total debt on government entities loans is 2.4 trillion rubles. This is a huge amount that the regions cannot be returned. The Cabinet began to think about the way out of the crisis situation. Siluanov recalled that in the first version of the budget the government provides only 140 billion rubles, which are as cheap loans can be issued in the region next year under 0.1%. However, after the zero reading the Ministry of Finance proposed a new version of the document in which the amount of reserved funds was 310 billion rubles as in 2015.

Deputy from "The United Russia" Alena Arshinova addressed Anton Siluanov with the proposal regarding allocation of this money. She supposes that the second reading of the budget should be clearly understood as follows: regions should receive200 billion and immediately, in January, direct the money to the repayment of commercial loans. Subjects of the Federation could use the difference to address a variety of operational issues.

Representative of “The United Russia” Mikhail Markelov had questions. He drew the attention of the head of the Accounting Chamber to the issue of illegal withdrawal of capital abroad. According to Tatyana Golikova, the amount that has developed for penalties Rosfinnadzor in this sphere, as of October 1, 2015 is 896 billion rubles. It has risen more than 54%.

She noted that the deadline for proposals on this issue - the middle of January 2016.