The Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast


December 18, 2008. XXIII Session of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma


XXIII Session of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma
34 issues including 22 bills on the agenda.
The deputies approved the RF Laws On Amendment of the RF Constitution “On Amendment to Tenure of the RF President and State Duma" and On Amendment to the RF Constitution “On the Control Powers of the State Duma Related to The RF Government”. The laws will come into force after approval by the legislative assemblies and minimum two thirds of the RF constituent entities. In accordance with these laws the Russian Government shall take annual account to the State Duma of the RF for its activities and issues imposed directly by the Parliament. As regards new terms of tenure of the RF President and State Duma Госдумы – 6 and 5 years correspondingly, Boris Maltsev, Tomsk Oblast State Duma speaker, reminded that the original draft of the RF Constitution ascertained seven-year tenures. However, on the assumption of the political realia, four-year term of tenure prevailed. Today the amendments to the RF Constitution are logical as part of strengthening of the Russian state and conform to its democratic modifications.

The deputies approved the Tomsk Oblast budget got 2009-2011. It was updated by the conciliatory commission in the complicated economic conditions. Due to the changes of economic situation significant adjustment had to be introduced into the budget indices. Oksana Kozlovskaya, First Deputy Governor of Tomsk Oblast, informed the deputies hereon.

The consolidated budget indices were updated. Budget revenues were recalculated based on 50 dollar/barrel oil price (in the original version – 90 dollars). Revenues on a number of taxes were increased by 608m rubles owing to organization property tax and payments from selling municipal entities assets. Decrease of consolidated budget revenues made 2.439m rubles. As a result, the volume of consolidated budget revenues for 2009 totaled 30.96m rubles.

Just after work completion of the conciliatory commission of the RF State Duma and the RF Government as part of response to the financial crisis a number of amendments were introduced into the tax laws, as well as intentions to set forth the policy of tax burden deduction for business entities were announced. At that, preliminary estimates show that the Tomsk Oblast budget can lack 2bn rubles in 2009. It relates to profit tax and natural persons income tax. Besides, this figure is obtained based on other legislation amendments adopted by the RF State Duma in first reading on transfer of 0.5% of organization profit tax rate to the RF entities, as well as all exactions from excise tax on petrol and diesel fuel. The price of these two decisions will make up 350-400m rubles.

The main burden of changes affected the Oblast budget for 2009. The expected volume of the Oblast budget revenues will make 29.986bn rubles, expenses – 32.157bn rubles. Deficit will estimate – 2.171bn (9.7 % of the Oblast own revenues).
During its work the conciliatory commission managed to slightly decrease the government debt (by 1.286bn rubles), though the debt load remained rather high – 44.3% to its own revenues (9.903bn rubles). The ultimate limit here is 50 %. The highest risks of 2009 budget execution lie in its deficit which can possibly cause difficulties with loans and their value increase.

To reduce the deficit by 4bn rubles, expenditure budget for 2009 was reduced (in comparison with the first reading). As the federal budget was adopted at the stage of local budget setting and the federal budget funds were thus included, as a result, expenditure budget decrease made 2.2bn.

The budget guarantees execution of all expenditure obligations by the authorities. Predominantly newly adopted expenditure obligations were reduced.
Out of the twenty approved Oblast programs four programs were excluded from the 2009 financing plan, for five programs the financing was reduced, and ten were left unchanged or even provided more finance.
The expenses for the public authorities were reduced by 242m rubles, budget transfers by 1.1bn rubles (partly due to the indexation of the salary pool of federal and local public officers).
In spite of reduction of expenses the planned budget allocations will be enough to ensure steady functioning of budget-funded organizations of Tomsk Oblast and timely provision of budget-funded services to the population.

The allocations for the social support for the population were left unchanged.
The 2008 expenses for the development of agro-industrial complex were indexed and left in the budget.

The amounts of financial assistance to the local budget will help balance the budgets of municipal organizations.
The budget has also kept subsidies for the development of the educational infrastructure. In 2009 capital repairs of several schools in the Oblast are planned.
The 2009 budget deficit will make up 2bn rubles. It is projected that the cost of credit resources for debt servicing will grow, which required additional allocation for payment of interests. The overall allocations to that effect total 1.063bn rubles.

Part of the capital expenses was carried over to the second half-year. It is planned to spend the money generated during the year for budget deficit reduction.

The conciliatory committee worked out a list of proposals and notes which will be helpful for the deputies during the year if and when the financial situation in the region improves.

In the second reading the deputies passed the bill "On Specific Features of Alienation of Real Estate Publicly Owned by Tomsk Oblast or Municipally Owned and Leased by Small and Medium Businesses of Tomsk Oblast". The bill provides for the preferential right of the businesspeople to buy out 1000 sq.m. of the leased premises and a three-year period for payments by installments.

The deputies decided to award 32 families of Tomsk Oblast for the merit of parents in bringing up their children. The new award of Tomsk Oblast is called Parent Merit; it was established by the Oblast Duma. This badge was established in the Family Year (2008) to honor parents who properly fostered five or more children and contributed to the reinforcement of the family institution.

During the break between the sittings Boris Maltsev, Speaker of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma, held his traditional media conference.

Speaking about the 2009 budget, Mr. Maltsev emphasized that despite the consequences of the global financial crisis, the revenues and expenses of the coming year are expected to grow compared to the current year. Although a number of capital projects were postponed till better times the development priorities of the Oblast are still high.

The priorities include first and foremost the Oblast target program "Development of Innovation Activity in Tomsk Oblast for 2009-2010". The implementation of the previous three programs (for 2002, 2003-2005, and 2006-2008) increased the output of innovative products ten times, from 0.6bn to 7bn rubles per year over 5 years. The share of innovative products in the growth of industrial output increased from 16 % in 2002 to 47.6 % in 2007. The first program provided 52m rubles, second – 737m rubles, third – 8.25bn rubles, and the fourth program (the current one) allocates 21bn rubles. Therefore, it promises to have even more impressive results.





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