The Ministry of Finance published the draft amendments to the budget for the year 2016. Instead of sequestration, the Agency Siluanov proposed to raise the cost of 680 billion rubles. And, by the secret articles. In this case, their share in total expenditure will rise to 22%, that is, until post-Soviet high, estimate by RBC. The deficit of the Treasury by year-end should grow to almost 3.7% of GDP.
“Classified spending budget is, first and foremost, the defense industry and law enforcement agencies. Here you can talk about intelligence, and about the costs of the Syrian campaign, and about the teachings, which become known after the fact, and on the activities of the FBI and the spending on propaganda. The geopolitical conditions in which today there is Russia, the increase in expenditure for these items is to be expected. Because, actually, we’re in a full-scale confrontation with the West, comparable to the times of the cold war. To save means to lose. Another question is how Russia’s economy is ready for such spending. But if you remember the history of these campaigns the country has never been prepared – the bread taken from the people, but were fighting against world capitalism,” says military analyst Michael WAN.
However, the growth of secret expenditure is not everything. The Finance Ministry proposes to abandon the discussion of the optimization of budget expenditures in favor of the security forces and the defense not only in the public space, but even among the other civil Ministers, deputies and senators. In other words, the Finance Minister can unilaterally reallocate up to 10% of their total budget Assiniboine (1.6 trillion roubles). Such amendments are necessary in case of emergency decisions in the military sphere, according to the analyst Denis Verbitsky. “For the past several years, we have seen the degeneration of Russia into a kind of Soviet Union.2.0. This is reflected in the raw model of the economy and growing costs in the defense industry. The current amendments are needed in the first place, to take urgent decisions in the military sphere. I do not think that Moscow intends to engage in an open confrontation in Syria, but this version of the script is seen as stressful. It is possible in the case if USA will begin its full-scale military campaign in Syria. However, I think that war, as such, can be avoided, but spending on Syria, plus we still have the Donbass, will have”, – concluded the expert.
To withdraw funds, the Ministry of Finance will continue from the social sphere and economic articles. For example, the state program “Development of transport system” will not receive 83 billion rubles, and “Social support of citizens” — $ 22.5 billion Reduction shall be even the cost of Crimea: the financing of the program of socio-economic development of the region will be reduced by 23 billion rubles. However, according to observers, social programs will try to cut the presidential elections after all, but the investment in the economy and business support will have to forget.
