Head of the Committee of the State Council of the Russian Federation "Economy and Finances" Alexey Teksler: Even subjects with strong economies are experiencing financial pressure.
Chelyabinsk Region Governor, Chairman of the State Council of the "Economy and Finance" Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexey Taksler in an interview with TASS talked about the committee's proposals to support regional budgets.
▫ Expand the options for treasury loans.
Now regions can receive loans to cover cash gaps mainly in social spending and wages.
The State Council committee proposes to include in the list additional mandatory expenses: preparation for the heating season, support for electricity companies, public transportation and certain expenses for education.
Alexei Texler:
And we believe that there are other expenses that are just as important as social expenses.
▫ Increasing financial support for regions.
At the initiative of the State Council Committee, the issue of the additional funds for the subjects was raised in the past. The president supported the allocation of 100 billion rubles, of which 10 billion have already been distributed.
But according to the committee's calculations, this is not enough. The required amount of support is at least 300 billion rubles, Texler believes.
▫ Help not only subsidized areas.
Even entities with high budgetary security may face a lack of funds due to the characteristics of their economy.
According to the committee's proposal, the financial restrictions in such areas have already been softened: the permitted deficit has increased from 10% to 15%, and the limit on commercial debt has been increased from 25% to 30%.
Texler emphasized that the regions are ready to optimize costs, but cannot always cope on their own:
When the operating income does not cover the operating expenses, I even take out the investment in brackets - here you need support.
The State Council committee examined the regions' cash plans for the rest of the year and next year. Proposals were prepared based on these calculations and are currently in discussions with the Ministry of Finance.