Translated material
A cap for a year
Deputies changed the consumer basket
Last Friday, the State Duma adopted in the third and final reading a law amending the composition and cost of the consumer basket. The deputies decided that Russians need to eat more meat, fish, fruits and change their wardrobe more often.A change in the composition of the basket, which includes a minimum set of food products, non-food goods and services, is long overdue. Its current “filling”, formed back in 1999, is clearly outdated. The volume of the basket, as conceived in the late 90s, was subject to revision every five years. However, the validity period of the current consumer basket, which was supposed to end on December 31, 2003, has been extended several times. Parliamentarians increased the cost of the new consumer basket by an average of 84 rubles. per person - up to 2653 rubles. per month (for pensioners the cost of the consumer basket increased by 12.5%, for children - by 5.8%, for the working-age population - by 4.8%).
According to the new law, the nutritional and biological value of the basket, the composition of which will not change until 2011, will increase due to an increase in the consumption of meat and meat products, fish, milk, fruits and berries. At the same time, the consumption rate of bread, flour, potatoes, pasta, cereals, and legumes is reduced. That is, the consumer basket is becoming closer to the ideals of “healthy eating.” However, more in quality than in quantity. It is expected that for the next five years, a working citizen of Russia will be able to eat at least 37 kg of meat per year (an increase of 22%), 16 kg of fish (by 15%), 23 kg of fruit (by 31%), about 240 kg of milk and dairy products ( by 10%). As for non-food products, the deputies decided that one headdress and seven pairs of socks or stockings would be enough for a Russian for a year (according to current standards, one cap, hat or cap should last seven years, and socks or stockings are supposed to last not seven per year, but five pairs). One skirt should last at least five years, and shoes should only be bought two pairs a year. The consumer basket suggests wearing one bra for three years, a suit for five years, and trousers for four years. Also, every working Russian will be able to spend 285 liters of hot and cold water per day, burn 10 cubic meters of gas monthly and consume 50 kW of electricity.
The deputies did not forget about the cultural leisure of Russians. For these purposes, 50 rubles have been allocated in the consumer basket. per month.
However, as deputies say, the adopted bill does not describe the standard of living, but serves to calculate the minimum subsistence level, which, in turn, is the starting point for calculating social payments - minimum wage, scholarships, etc. Moreover, each region has its own law on the consumer basket. As Vera Oskina, a member of the State Duma Committee on Social Policy, told the Regnum agency, when the deputies increased the cost of the basket, they proceeded from the fact that the cost of living should approach 3,000 rubles. per month (the cost of living is calculated based on the results of each quarter, taking into account inflation).
Although the cost of living is used only to calculate pensions, benefits and scholarships, it is, in fact, the limit below which employers are not allowed to set wages. This is especially true for the provinces, where salaries of a couple of thousand rubles are still not uncommon.