October 27 2017 The State Duma will consider in its first reading the bill on the federal budget for 2018-2020 years introduced by the Government of the Russian Federation. Commenting on the country's main financial document, Chairman of the Council of the Federation Committee on Defense and Security, Viktor Bondarev, said that reducing spending on national defense next year will not slow down the pace of rearmament of the army, modernization of the defense industry and will not affect the defense capability of the Russian state.
Reducing the cost of national defense next year, envisaged by the bill, will not slow down the pace of rearmament of the army, modernization of the military-industrial complex and strengthening the country's defense capability.
- said Bondarev
At the same time, he noted that the decision to allocate budget allocations in the amount less than in previous years was comprehensively weighed, analyzed and incorporated even during the development of the federal budget for the 2017 year and the planned period of 2018-2019. It is associated with the completion of a number of activities in the framework of the execution of the "May" Presidential Decree No. 603, which required the allocation of additional funds. Future defense expenditures seem to be understated only in comparison with the budget of previous years.
The Chairman of the Committee confirmed that the budgeted funds will allow to ensure the main strategic objectives of the Armed Forces of Russia and in this regard, the concept of the document submitted by the Ministry of Finance supports the Committee.
But commenting on the bill, V. Bondarev notes that certain provisions need to be adjusted. Such provisions include, for example, the monetary allowance of military personnel, which, according to the parliamentarian, should be indexed in accordance with the level of inflation, which is not included in the current draft “budget”. At the same time, Federal Law No. 306-ФЗ of 2012 has been used for indexation as the main mechanism for protecting the remuneration of military personnel from its depreciation. However, subsequent amendments to the legislation suspended this provision for the past five years, that is, since the adoption of federal law.
Considering this problem, V. Bondarev proposes to work out the issue of the resumption of indexation.
This is also important from the point of view of increasing the attractiveness of military service. It is clear that the armed forces are a special sphere into which people are going, not for utilitarian reasons, but at the behest of the heart. Most of the "army" are driven by a sense of duty and patriotism. But still, responsible people who want to ensure a decent standard of living for their families, do not overlook the financial issue when choosing a profession. In addition, the return of indexations is consistent with the requirements of the “May” Presidential Decree No. 604 on the conformity of the level of income of servicemen to average wages in leading sectors of the economy.
- Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security
It is noted that the indexation of wages to civilian personnel of military units and organizations is spelled out in the draft law. However, the planned percentage does not allow these categories to provide an acceptable standard of living. According to forecasts, their salaries will be less than the minimum wage. In the course of the adoption of the federal budget it is necessary to adjust this point.
In addition, a mechanism should be worked out to solve the problem of indexing military pensions (which was sharpened by the adoption on the eve of the first reading of the draft law on annual “freezing” of indexation) and incorporate it into the draft federal budget, which is also consistent with the requirements of the “May” decrees of the President of Russia. People who gave their active years of military service, have spent a lot of strength and health to protect the homeland, deserve it. This is my position not only as the chairman of the relevant Committee of the Council of the Federation, but also as a citizen of our country
- said V. Bondarev.
I want to pay attention to the next moment. On Wednesday, at the “government hour” of the meeting of the Federation Council, we discussed the state and prospects for the construction of Rosgvardi troops. A detailed analysis conducted by us in preparation for this event showed a shortage of funds for many of the needs of the new executive body that ensures national security. In this regard, 1 January 2018 should provide for the allocation of additional funds from the federal budget to increase to 65% of the monthly allowance for special conditions of service for employees serving in the National Guard under the St. Petersburg and Leningrad region. For Moscow and the Moscow region a similar rule is valid.
In general, I repeat, the amount of defense financing provided for in the 2018-2020 years can be called quite worthy in a difficult macroeconomic situation. The most important thing is to balance the interests of the state and society, to ensure the implementation of short-term, medium-term and long-term tasks. And the bill prepared by the Ministry of Finance allows it "
- quotes Bondarev his press service.
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