The State Duma, parliament's lower house, had a roundtable today to debate a forthcoming bill on social welfare privileges replaced by increased pensions and grants. "There are sizeable scissors between medicine pricing in Russia's various parts even now-so will the government cope with reduced medicine prices at all?" a question came from the audience.
"I shall step down if we don't do it," Mr. Zurabov resolutely said to that, and fortified his point with statistics.
At present, national average medicine welfare allocations amount to a monthly per capita 38 rubles, slightly below $1.5, with 95 rubles in Moscow. A mere 48 per cent of people entitled to reduced-price medicines actually use the right. If money grants come in instead of privilege certificates, all will be able to enjoy the right.
The bill envisages 40 rubles per capita for monthly suburban transport fares, with an unlimited number of trips. The arrangement will repeat with medicines. All persons on the welfare will be entitled to monetary grants throughout next year, to receive the right, later on, to choose grants or privileges, reassured the minister.
Made on a Cabinet initiative, money substitutes for privileges will spectacularly increase welfare allocations. At present, a limited-abilities person is entitled to a national average 112 rubles a month, and a pensioner 50 rubles. The country spent approximately 27 billion rubles on welfare last year, with no account for reduced housing rents and other municipal fees. Welfare benefits greatly differ from region to region, added Mr. Zurabov.
The Cabinet intends to increase welfare expenditures to 170 billion rubles, from next year on, and ensure equal access to social welfare, said the minister.
