MOSCOW, July 19 The Russian government supported the proposal of the Ministry of Finance to reduce the so-called unprotected budget expenditures by 10% in 2024, Vedomosti reports with reference to to a number of sources.
“The government approved the proposal of the Ministry of Finance to reduce by 10% budget expenditures in 2024 on the so-called unprotected items. A source close to the Cabinet told Vedomosti about this, the information was confirmed by a federal official. The decision was made by the government commission on budget projections.
The Budget Code does not distinguish between protected and unprotected expenses, although this term is used quite often, including in official documents, the newspaper notes. As a rule, the first group is understood as spending that is not subject to sequestration under any circumstances — first of all, these are social obligations of the budget and partly military spending. All others are classified as unprotected. As a source close to the government explained to the publication, in this case, unprotected meant mainly expenses for which there were no financial justifications with appropriate calculations.
A representative of the Ministry of Finance told the newspaper that the final amount of optimization has not yet been determined. The decision on which items of expenditure will be reduced and how significantly, the subjects of budget planning will take independently together with the supervising vice-premiers. The optimization will not affect budget spending on the social sphere, the payment of salaries to state employees, interbudgetary transfers and other protected items, the representative of the Ministry of Finance emphasized.
Expenses were also cut last year, and the redistributed funds will be used to finance priority government spending, the newspaper's interlocutor recalled. The total amount of budget expenditures will be determined in accordance with the budget rule, the representative of the ministry concluded. The press service of the government did not respond to the request of the publication.
Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at a meeting of the government committee On June 29, the Institute for Budget Projections proposed a «frontal reduction» in government spending in the next year's budget, the newspaper notes. The minister suggested that departments cut spending by 10% — it was about the so-called unprotected budget expenditures. At the same time, the released funds were proposed to be redistributed. According to newspaper sources, Siluanov explained this need by the growing gap between expenses and income.
Earlier, he noted that he sees no serious risks for the fulfillment of state obligations in 2023, and to ensure a balanced budget for 2024-2026, the Ministry of Finance, together with the government, «works out the tasks of mobilizing resources.» /stavka-1882939174.html» data-title=»The expert told what threatens the increase in the key rate»>