The cost of social support measures will increase: United Russia discussed the draft budget for 2023

All social provisions of the people’s program are fully provided in the 2023-2025 budget. This was stated by Dmitry Medvedev at a meeting of the party’s program commission dedicated to financing the provisions of the people’s program in the main financial document of the country. 2.3 trillion rubles are provided for its implementation in 2023, and 3 trillion each in 2024 and 2025. As a result of the meeting, an instruction was also issued for the faction of the party in the State Duma to support the draft budget during its first reading, which will be held on October 26. The decision is due to the fact that the main financial document of the country provides funds for all social obligations. MK experts believe that all social guarantees will be fully implemented.

All decisions that we have prepared should contribute to the fulfillment of the social obligations of the people’s program. This was stated by party chairman Dmitry Medvedev. The people’s program of United Russia, with which the party won the elections to the State Duma, includes 294 provisions, the implementation of which is envisaged from 2021 to 2025. Currently, 72 provisions (25%) of them have been fully implemented. Meanwhile, more than 2.5 million Russians across the country took part in the formation of this document in 2021.

“In the draft budget for next year, funds for the payment of maternity capital have been significantly increased (from 443 billion rubles in 2022 to 551 billion rubles in 2023) and payments for the birth of children. More than 30 million pensioners will receive an indexed pension. Over 11 million people with disabilities will be able to receive increased social benefits. Wages will be indexed for public sector employees,” he said.

Medvedev stressed that United Russia is faced with the task of guaranteeing Russian social standards for all new citizens of the country.

“We are talking about infrastructure projects, restoration of infrastructure, provision of state support to entrepreneurs. I ask the heads of federal executive bodies to expedite work in the new territories. The leaders of the recently created regional branches of United Russia should also be included in this work,” he said.

Dmitry Medvedev also reminded that the organization of assistance to Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions requires serious attention.

“The current border of the Russian Federation will remain unchanged. Russian troops will not retreat. This means that all social obligations and government guarantees apply to these territories: pensions, restoration of destroyed infrastructure, buildings, boiler houses, electricity supply,” said Alexei Zubets, director of the Institute for Social and Economic Research of the Financial University.

According to him, there will be no cuts in this part. All articles that are necessary in order to provide people with a decent existence will be fully implemented. “This is a political commitment that will not be abandoned,” the MK interlocutor emphasized. – The entire budget is divided into two parts: protected and unprotected. Protected – these are all articles that are related to the social obligations of the government: pensions, payments to the military, maternity capital, benefits. We also have an obligation not to reduce pensions. And all this will be done in full.”

In turn, Secretary of the General Council Andrei Turchak proposed to combine funding for the implementation of all activities in new regions into a single state program. According to him, the key task of United Russia is new kindergartens, schools, infrastructure, road facilities and housing in the LDNR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

In turn, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that all social obligations received the necessary funding in the draft budget for 2023-2025. This applies to both the implementation of existing support measures and new ones.

Payments will also be increased in connection with the increase in the living wage. And the living wage itself will be 14 thousand 275 rubles. An increase in the minimum wage to 16,242 rubles is also envisaged, which will contribute to an increase in the wages of 3.5 million employees.

Speaking about the financing of the people’s program of “United Russia” in the draft budget, the coordinator of the direction “Financial support for the implementation of the program”, Chairman of the State Duma Committee Andrei Makarov noted that this is one of the priorities of the document.

“2.3 trillion rubles are provided for its (people’s program. – Note) implementation in 2023, and 3 trillion each in 2024 and 2025,” he recalled.

Separately, the budget provides for funds to ensure defense capability and security, including social guarantees for the military.

According to Makarov, the draft federal budget for 2023-2025 was the best that could be formed in the current situation. By the second reading, it will finalize the allocation of funds for the improvement of the territories of the Far East in accordance with the instructions of the president, support for the countryside, healthcare, and others.

“Dmitry Medvedev’s assessment of the funding of the social provisions of the United Russia people’s program in the budget for 2023–2025 is quite adequate. Given the significant growth in budget allocations for maternity capital, the social orientation of the budget set by United Russia is fully preserved,” said Dmitry Orlov, General Director of APEC.