More than 65% of the Vitebsk region's budget for 2019 is planned to be allocated to the social sphere
This was discussed at a joint meeting of two standing commissions of the regional Council of Deputies held earlier this week, during which issues of financing the social sphere in the draft budget for 2019 were considered.
Voters consistently take the most active part in this process: their mandates are accumulated and regional deputies strive to fulfill them when developing the main financial document of the Vitebsk region for the upcoming year.
At the same time, as emphasized by the Chairman of the Regional Council, Vladimir Terentyev, proposals from local areas must be carefully considered financial decisions, developed taking into account, first and foremost, the interests of the population and the specific development of the territories, and having been coordinated with the relevant departments of the regional executive committee.
Vladimir Terentyev: The main criteria for evaluating local initiatives are reasonableness and a state-oriented approach
— The main criteria for evaluating local initiatives are reasonableness and a state-oriented approach, as we are talking not only about the current functioning of numerous organizations in the budget sphere but also about the socio-economic development of the Vitebsk region as a whole, — noted the head of the regional council. — All well-developed proposals will be taken into account; those that require immediate implementation will receive state support, while others can count on it in the future.
The volume of requests for additional funding received from local areas exceeded 500 million rubles
According to Svetlana Zubritskaya, Deputy Head of the Regional Executive Committee's Main Financial Department, the volume of requests for additional funding from local authorities has exceeded 500 million rubles. Some of these requests have been reflected in the draft main financial document, while the remaining issues will be addressed during its implementation, contingent on the effective performance of the real economy sector.
In the draft regional budget for 2019, expenditures are planned at almost 2.2 billion rubles, an increase of 5.7% compared to the estimated execution of the 2018 budget.
When forming the expenditure side of the treasury, a consistent increase in salaries in the public sector to at least 80% of the average salary in the economy is foreseen. Preferential housing construction loans, targeted social support for vulnerable population groups, and subsidies for certain sectors, particularly housing and communal services and transport, will continue.
Expenditures on the social sphere are planned at almost 1.45 billion rubles, or 66% of the total expenditure.
The priorities for budget investments remain unchanged: education (31% of all expenditures), healthcare (25%), social policy (5%), culture (3%), physical culture and sports (about 2%).
The approaches used have made it possible to balance the budget within available resources and ensure financing for the most important areas of socio-economic development of the region and its districts, emphasized Svetlana Zubritskaya.
A separate expenditure item is the organizational and practical work on preparing the regions for the regional festival of rural workers.
Moreover, this refers not only to Braslav, which will be the capital of "Dazhynki-2019". The budget provides funds for preparatory events in Vitebsk district and the regional center, which will host guests in 2020, as well as in Shumilino district ("Dazhynki-2021").
Regarding the upcoming holiday, the Chairman of the Braslav District Executive Committee, Alexander Bodanin, reported that its general concept has been defined. A list of facilities to be renovated for the traditional event has been compiled.
The focus is on creating a comfortable environment for local residents. According to preliminary estimates, this will require about 20 million rubles. The district is ready to carry out some of the work on its own and has already begun implementing some plans. However, budget support is also needed. For example, it will be required for the construction of a sports and recreation complex costing about 730 thousand rubles, the improvement of the city, and, in particular, the embankment of Lake Drivyaty (a total of about 3.8 million rubles).
Financing for preparatory measures is also envisaged in the expenditure items of the regional budget project for sectors such as culture, education, and healthcare. The district will receive support for many proposals, although, as practice shows, some issues will have to be resolved during the year. The main thing is that all facilities must be used for their intended purpose and operate at maximum capacity, emphasized Vladimir Terentyev.
Another crucial area of budget investment is the financing of the program for the improvement of settlements
Another crucial area of budget investment is the financing of the program for the improvement of settlements that have the potential to yield significant economic and social benefits. It was developed by order of the head of state and is designed for five years.
In the Vitebsk region, the settlements of Bolbasovo (Orsha district) and Yezeryshche (Gorodok district) became the pioneers of the program this year. While Bolbasovo was successfully renovated completely, even exceeding planned resources, the residents of the region's northern outpost still have unmet needs. These are planned to be addressed next year.
As reported by Svetlana Zueva, Chairperson of the Gorodok District Council of Deputies, Yezershche is noticeably transforming, and a significant amount of work has been done. In particular, capital repairs with modernization of 10 residential buildings have been carried out, about 4 km of roads have been reconstructed, a children's playground has been equipped, and engineering networks are being replaced.
Healthcare, culture, and education facilities are under development. Approximately 2.3 million rubles are needed to complete them, and another 1.2 million rubles are required for the improvement of the settlement. The plans of the local authorities also include the creation of a recreation area on the international highway passing through the town, and the arrangement of a mini-market. However, such initiatives can be implemented using the district budget.
According to Vladimir Terentyev, the cleanup in the town will be brought to a logical conclusion, but local authorities also need to intensify their efforts to attract the necessary funds for this.
The largest number of proposals concerned spheres that every resident of the region encounters. The most budget-intensive sector is education.
Next year, it is planned to allocate about 30 million rubles for the capital repair of educational facilities.
Next year, it is planned to allocate about 30 million rubles for the capital repair of facilities, almost 3 million rubles for the purchase of electronic learning tools, and 2.4 million rubles for the purchase of technological equipment for catering units.
As noted by Dmitry Khoma, Head of the Main Department for Education of the Regional Executive Committee, budget funds are provided for the first time for the development of institutions of additional education for children and youth. An important expenditure item is the purchase of 42 buses for transporting children. This will fully resolve the issue of transport provision and renewal of the bus fleet in the regions.
Currently, school transport routes are being optimized in the Vitebsk region: minibuses deliver children from small villages to a hub, from where large-capacity transport takes all the children to school.
At the same time, Dmitry Khoma proposed to additionally include the construction of preschool educational institutions in the regional investment program.
According to specialists' calculations, at least nine such facilities are needed. Postavsky, Miorsky, Lepelsky, Orshansky districts, as well as Vitebsk, Polotsk, and Novopolotsk, are in urgent need of them. These issues are planned to be addressed, including through attracting external financing, noted Vladimir Terentyev.
Under the "social policy" section, the need for additional funding is about 7.8 million rubles.
As commented by Nina Kolymaga, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Labor, Employment, and Social Protection of the Regional Executive Committee, it mainly concerns expenses for current maintenance, capital repairs of boarding schools, territorial centers for social services for the population, and the purchase of equipment, including for centers for the vocational rehabilitation of disabled people.
In addition, due to the increase in the number of citizens applying for state targeted social assistance, more than 2 million rubles are required for these purposes. These expenses are planned to be taken into account when approving the draft budget for 2019 and when adjusting it later.
Deputies also considered proposals for additional funding for healthcare, culture, sports, and ideological work.