Presidential budget fund to increase thrice next year
It is not a problem as it is done to get ready for the hockey championship, experts think.
The state leader advised that MPs should criticize the 2014 budget when necessary. And they already have a lot of remarks. They even “asked the government a lot of questions”, MP Alyaksandr Zyazyulya told Euroradio.
However, MPs will hardly ever criticize the presidential fund that is going to increase… thrice! It was 430 billion roubles and will increase to 1 trillion 200 billion roubles next year. We are getting ready for the hockey championship, Alyaksandr Zyazyulya explained.
Alyaksandr Zyazyulya: “I think that it is normal because we are getting ready for the hockey championship. It does not matter whether we have money or not, we should organize everything in the best possible way. It (increasing the presidential fund – Euroradio’s note) will help us work on the issues that demand logical completion.”
Economist Leanid Zaika partly agrees with the MP: it is necessary to save money for “the most important even of 2014”. The Presidential Fund used to be called Support Fund for Emergency Situations for a reason.
Leanid Zaika: “The Presidential Fund used to be called the Support Fund for Emergency Situations. However, various state programmes were launched with its help later – like supporting the gifted youth and modernisation. Lukashenka saw that the money was being spent pointlessly and not efficiently and decided “to reload everything”. He will use the policy of the carrot and the stick!”
Ex-head of the National Bank Stanislau Bahdankevich agrees that the state leader wants to be able to allocate as much money as possible for “emergency needs”.
Stanislau Bahdankevich: “It also shows uncertainty in the future. Maybe the President will have to decide how to use the money without consulting the Parliament.”
You cannot complain about the things the money from the Presidential Fund is spent: medicine, sports, certain regions and projects when the cost of their construction “suddenly” increases. It is a ‘transparent’ process.”
Stanislau Bahdankevich: “The money usage is reflected in the reports of the Ministry of Finance (the money from the presidential fund – Euroradio’s note). I do not think there can be any cheating.”
MPs also control the money in the Presidential Fund – the Ministry of Finance reports “what the money was spent on”, MP Alyaksandr Zyazyulya explained. However, the control is performed only after the money was spent.
Photo: dengi.onliner.by
