What will the surplus revenues in the Vitebsk region be spent on?

Vitebsk region's economy earned surplus revenues, enabling the financing of important social sector tasks and problems by the end of the first half of the year. Among the recipients of additional funds are numerous small social facilities: their normal operation largely determines the quality of life in a specific locality and in the region as a whole.

On August 14, at an extraordinary session, the deputies of the regional council approved budget adjustments and expanded the investment program for the Vitebsk region for 2018. As noted by **Gennady Grebnev, Head of the Main Financial Department of the Regional Executive Committee**, the regional budget's own revenues will increase by 3.2 million rubles, mainly due to surplus profit tax revenues. Another approximately 13 million rubles were gratuitously transferred from republican sources for the reconstruction of the ice palace in Novopolotsk. Due to these additional funds, as well as budget loans allocated from the national treasury and the redistribution of planned funds, the regional budget expenditures will increase by 61.2 million rubles.

Almost half (19.8 million) of the credit resources from the capital are directed towards the accelerated replacement of elevators in residential buildings in Vitebsk, Novopolotsk, Polotsk, and Orsha districts, which will reach their service life by 2021. For financial support to agricultural organizations in repaying debts for supplied equipment, 21.6 million rubles have been allocated as subsidies.

The majority of the adjustments concerned the social sector. More than 0.5 million rubles will be additionally allocated for the preparation of educational institutions for the new academic year. Over a million rubles have been allocated from the regional budget for the repair of facilities and the resolution of other issues in the cultural sphere, with more than 50% of which intended for Verkhnedvinsk. They are preparing for the regional "Dazhynki" festival, and additional funds were needed to purchase equipment and complete the renovation of the Center of Culture and Folk Art, and to put in order the central library and the children's art school.

– I want to thank you for paying attention not only to large-scale projects when preparing Verkhnedvinsk for the rural workers' holiday. Problems of small, but no less significant for local residents, facilities, such as the children's art school, are also being addressed, – noted **Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies Vladimir Terentyev**. – It is important to see the small within the large. I hope that on September 1, children and teachers will be pleased to start classes in the renovated building.

In addition, 250 thousand rubles each will be allocated for the purchase of sound and lighting equipment and the renovation of the auditorium of the Palace of Culture in the urban-type settlement of Bolbasovo in Orsha region, and for the capital repair of the urban-type settlement Palace of Culture in Yazerishcha, Gorodok district.

Through the redistribution of almost 560 thousand rubles, work will be financed at healthcare facilities in Verkhnedvinsk, Gorodok (Yazerishcha nursing home), Dokshytsy (Begoml district hospital), and Ushachy (central district hospital) districts. Additional funds will also be directed to Ushachy to complete the construction of a fire station in 2018.

Over 100 thousand rubles have been transferred to the district budgets for the continuation of work on the demolition of dilapidated and vacant buildings. Another approximately 350 thousand rubles have been allocated for the closure of mini landfills in Dubrovno, Tolochin, and Chashniki districts, as well as for the design of regional solid waste landfills in Novopolotsk, Polotsk, Ushachy, and Rossony districts, and the construction of a similar facility in Vitebsk.

The budget situation has made it possible to expand the investment program of the Vitebsk region by including vital utility facilities – an additional 15 water supply facilities, the design and construction of which will be financed by the regional budget and other sources. This mainly concerns iron removal stations and treatment facilities in rural settlements.

BY THE WAY: Construction of iron removal stations is planned in Miory, agro-towns Drozdі (Beshenkovichy district), Shanurovo (Vitebsk district), Varkhi (Gorodok district), Selyavshchina (Rossony district), Pushki (Liozno district), settlements Parafyanovo (Dokshitsy district), Zaslonovo (Lepel district), Shunievichi (Glubokoye district), Vetrino and Nacha (Polotsk district), Mitkovshchina (Orsha district), Kordon (Shumilino district), as well as water supply networks in the village of Suykovo, Vitebsk district.