The State Duma on Wednesday considered government amendments to the current 2013 budget law in the first reading. Due to problems in the economy and the uncertainty of privatization plans, deputies did not change the main parameters of the state treasury and only redistributed 171 billion rubles, which will be used to implement the May presidential decrees and support agriculture.

Photo: Dmitry Dukhanin, Kommersant / buy photo

The head of the Ministry of Finance, Anton Siluanov, explained to the deputies the reasons for maintaining income and expenses at the same level. He said that there would be no non-oil and gas additional revenues in 2013 and therefore, in accordance with the new Budget Code, expenses cannot be increased. There will be no additional money due to the worsening situation in the economy: a slowdown in GDP growth from 3.7% to 2.4%, a reduction in investment, a fall in enterprise profits and imports.

So, for now, the Ministry of Finance has proposed to the State Duma only the redistribution of 171 billion rubles, raised in the budget by saving on expenses and unfreezing the crisis reserve. Let us remind you that a total of 200 billion rubles have been reserved for anti-crisis measures that were not needed. Now they will be unblocked and allocated to recipients (in particular, the housing and communal services fund), but at the same time 45 billion rubles. from this amount will be redistributed. In addition, due to savings on expenses (we are talking, in particular, about transfers to the Pension Fund that were not spent in 2012 and funds for servicing the public debt), another 126 billion rubles will be redistributed. These 171 billion rubles were spent. will be for social services and agriculture. In pursuance of last year's May presidential decrees, 50 billion rubles. will go to the regions to build kindergartens. In addition, 42 billion rubles. will go to farmers (to reimburse interest on loans, subsidies to meat and grain producers), 10 billion rubles - to Russian Railways (to compensate for losses from passenger transportation).

Voting on the bill will take place after 5 p.m.

Vadim Visloguzov

Budget 2013 is ready for the first revision