Matvienko called the work of the government “heroic”

On November 30, the Federation Council unanimously adopted the budget for 2023-2025. “Siluanov’s team did the impossible, they matched income with expenses, they worked 24/7,” Vice Speaker of the Upper House Nikolai Zhuravlev enthusiastically reacted to the estimate for the upcoming three-year period. Valentina Matviyenko even stated that the government worked heroically on the budget. Only the head of the Accounts Chamber, Alexei Kudrin, did not mention the main financial document: his senators escorted him from office with applause.

“The analysis of finance always requires the search for new, more efficient systems and mechanisms of financing. Only then will we achieve the final effect,” Alexei Kudrin admonished the senators before leaving the rostrum of the Federation Council and the post of head of the Accounts Chamber.

Kudrin, who is tipped for a high post plus a five percent stake in the Russian IT giant, thanked the members of the upper chamber for their support, and the auditors of the Accounts Chamber for their productive work. Rumors about Kudrin’s new appointment were actually confirmed by Valentina Matviyenko. “We hope, Alexey Leonidovich, that with your transition, the Federation Council will more often be in the top of Yandex with those important statements that we make,” the speaker said at the plenary meeting of the Federation Council.

The main focus of the senators on November 30 was on the draft budget for 2023-2025. Even if Kudrin is gone, his business lives on: the main financial document of the country has been dismantled by the auditors of the Accounts Chamber. And they were satisfied.

“The budget for the next three years was adopted under unprecedented sanctions pressure, but it showed a sufficient degree of stability and the ability to adapt to new conditions,” said Galina Izotova, Deputy Chairman of the Accounts Chamber.

The senators and auditors of the Accounts Chamber were especially pleased with the social orientation of the federal budget. It is planned to allocate 18 trillion rubles in 2023 for the implementation of 49 state programs. Expenses for social support of citizens in the next three years will increase by 30%, for the development of healthcare – by 22%, it is planned to spend 17% more on providing citizens with affordable housing than current indicators. 1.9 trillion rubles are allocated to support families with children next year.

True, the Accounts Chamber still found a fly in the ointment for Siluanov: the auditors found a failure in the implementation of the federal targeted investment program (AIP). It turned out that 92% of the facilities mentioned in the program were never put into operation.

The minister explained: while the draft budget is being prepared, a list of objects for the AIP is being compiled along with it. But then something can go wrong. Either the leadership of the country will intervene, or one object will be replaced by another. All this is done either in the course of consideration of financial estimates, or in general already in the process of their execution.

“This is bad practice. Deadlines must be strictly limited. If there are no agreements, contracts, the object must be removed and the money must be distributed to other objects. So that it doesn’t happen that the object is included in the program, but nothing has been done, ”Siluanov suggested.

Senator from the Republic of Tuva Dina Oyun reproached the financial block of the Cabinet of Ministers for the large number of orphans on the waiting list: in Tuva there are about one and a half thousand of them, 200 already have court decisions in their hands, but there are still no keys to the apartment.

“This is a difficult question. The total amount of obligations under it is about 600 billion rubles. It is difficult to find such amounts quickly. We need to change the legal field and close this issue within two or three years. Now the money is going to other things. The subjects have money, but they are not directed to the solution of this issue. Why? Apparently, they are waiting for co-financing from the federal budget.”

But if it turns out that the regions really do not have enough money in the treasury, the federal center will help, the minister reassured.

Will the federal treasury have something to help the regions on occasion? Most likely yes: the volume of reserves in 2023 should amount to 929 billion rubles, and in 2025 there will already be 1.4 trillion rubles in the piggy bank. The Deputy Chairman of the Accounts Chamber noted that in the current geopolitical situation, additional measures to support the population and businesses may be required, so these are reasonable indicators.

All 152 senators present at the meeting voted to approve the budget.

“The government has worked heroically. All social obligations will be fulfilled,” Valentina Matvienko assured.