Russian regions were profitable ...

Unprofitability most Russian regions - the result of the center

This summer in many regions of Russia are quite hot, and especially the high temperatures observed in the southern regions of the country, which naturally affects the livelihoods of those who are in these regions. It is this factor can explain the initiative of the presidential envoy Dmitry Kozak, the imposition of "external control" in regions of the bankrupt, in which he addressed a meeting of government commission for coordination of federal authorities in the Southern Federal District. Apparently, this idea, according to Dmitry Kozak, to better fit into the program the president to strengthen the vertical of power, and, respectively, and the strengthening of Dmitry Kozak in this vertical. I would be okay if Dmitry Kozak presented an analysis of the governors and their administrations, would indicate that the governors, his rule brought the region into bankruptcy, proposed a program of withdrawal of these regions from the heavy-bankrupt state, would convince everybody that the introduction of "external control "ensure stability and sustainable development of regions, but we have nothing. Not explain it and why is necessary to introduce "external control", that is, to strengthen central authority, and not to hold new elections for regional leaders, not to promote democracy?

But the important question in this initiative is not a man whose good will to act are ahead of understanding of the subject and really understand why, in Russia's 89 regions with 12 regions of the donor, who, in addition to Moscow, is rapidly moving from the donor to the recipient. Is it in 77 regions of the country people can not secure its own existence, and where the center are the means to maintain them? Why Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as and the surrounding region - Moscow and St. Petersburg - donors, and Omsk, Volgograd, Penza and the surrounding areas in the region - the recipients?

The main reason for this situation is the existing state structure. In a country ruled by uncontrolled and irresponsible bureaucracy, in alliance with the oligarchs. Parliament also has no real power, and today it is reduced to the level of the servants of the central bureaucracy and the oligarchy, and the people removed from the possibility to influence the power to make decisions. What allows you to direct financial flows into the pockets of a small group of bureaucrats and oligarchs. The oligarchic capital grow by leaps and bounds, increasing the volume of gold reserves, swelling the Stabilization Fund, increasing the budget surplus, and impoverished regions. And the situation continues to worsen, as the State Duma adopted amendments to the electoral law, establish additional obstacles in the way of lobbying the people's interests, the possibility of people to influence the situation in the country.

Naturally, all this is possible thanks to the Tax Code. Russia occupies a leading position on the height of tax, due to existing monopolies, with many privileges, due to fiscal and credit policy of the Government, through the usurpation of power by a separate group of officials and oligarchs.

Taxes, which today operate on the territory of Russia, impoverish the producer, the employee and the enrichment of the commodity oligarch and a government official. That's why we do not find in the media analysis of the existing tax system. In the media can hold forth on anything about polygamy, about pedagogy, about how to grow onions, and where better to relax, but you will not hear a discussion of the Tax Code, who benefits from such taxes, and that they stimulate.

Today, the state has established a system of taxes: VAT - 18% EVS - 35,6%, income tax - 13%, profit tax - 24% tax on enterprise assets - 2,2%.

What and who promotes, the question arises, value added tax (VAT)? And it stimulates the lust of the oligarch and officials for money. VAT - a tax, which indirectly increases tax on profits, charges for payroll and tax revenues received in the form of loans, and encourage the export of raw materials and semi-finished products to world markets, as well as raw material monopolies VAT, the state returns. This tax is strangling the manufacturer of goods for the domestic market, which allows officials and oligarchs to import as many goods from abroad and to withdraw from that its turnover margin, ie the difference between the buying and selling, and inhibits the growth of wages.

Just for the raw material monopolies and representatives of big business officials pushed through the Duma to change the income tax and now instead of a progressive scale of income tax from 12 - 35%, which is practiced in almost all developed countries, we are 13% for all. Whom cares, our government, dragging such a law? Apparently not on the poorest segments of the population.

At first glance, we observe an apparent paradox, when the government acts to the detriment of the state, reduces revenues and increases profits of the oligarchs. But all becomes clear when you realize that this government for this purpose and assigned to facilitate the growth of big capital, not revenue generation. Yes, and commodity tycoons understand who he lights green, so do not stint on the gratitude, and the efforts of officials, apparently paid very generously.

The introduction of the UST (unified social tax) generally showed the ratio of the bureaucracy to the people, and their understanding of the relationship. First, it should be noted that all taxes are social, but the officials immediately identified that the income tax or VAT - this is their income, this is what they will be free to dispose of, but you must still pay income tax on the military and UST on the provision of social guarantees.

Naturally, all the burden of excessive taxes, even without taking into account the indirect taxes, hangs a huge weight on Russia's economy and does not allow it to grow steadily and rapidly, these taxes contribute to the outflow of finance from the immediate producers into the hands of the central bureaucracy and the oligarchy and the people does not allow for a decent life.

The second important component of the current system is a monopoly, which was inexplicably dubbed as natural. Who in the pursuit of profit are becoming more aggressive and have the head of the Federal Monopoly Service Igor Artemyev starts saying that natural monopolies are even more unnatural. What happens? And what happens is that monopolies with the support and direct participation of the state are pumping huge funds from the country's entire economy, obiraya regions. Leaders monopolies directly lobbying their interests, and the Government each year provides them to increase tariffs. Over the past five years rates (regulated by the State!) Grew by 130% gas and electricity - at 129%.

The new head of Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, who according to some political scientists have come to the presidents of the sleepers in the open states that tariffs for transportation will grow, because CFR has not received the planned 10.5 billion profit. And it is not important, and whether citizens have received at least those revenues, which they had last year. They then what would you do? But there seems little concerned about how growth rates affect the entire economy. Few worry that as a result of growth of tariffs for gas and electricity, the growth rates for rail transportation and the price of gasoline goes bankrupt or goes into the category of losing many Russian enterprises that regional budgets are not dopoluchat taxes, and therefore will not be solved by many social programs. They are more interested in capital growth of monopolies, but the growth of gold reserves. And, as a result, among the 500 largest companies in the world there were three Russian, who also this year made significant strides. Gazprom to 167 - second place moved to the 139 th, with proceeds to 35.0895 billion dollars, Lukoil jumped immediately to 80 degrees and has 178 seats, with revenues of 28.810 billion dollars, and RAO UES of Russia "was 248 - m spot, with 22.6029 billion dollars.

Where do these companies have any of these revenues? And note the economists, members of the government and all kinds of publicists explained that the resource rent, which has greatly increased the income of these monopolies, to fill the Stabilization Fund and increase Russia's currency reserves to 149.6 billion dollars. Ostensibly, these revenues unrelated to labor Russian citizens do not have. Here is the political economy of the laws demonstrate knowledge of our rulers, and ministered to them economists.

In fact, no resource rent does not exist. In classical economics, there is such a thing as an annuity, which is nothing but a title of ownership of a certain number of persons on the ground, the mines, wells, fields, and that allows them to arrogate to itself as a tribute of labor society. But our politicians and economists have long been more convenient to use the outdated theory of the Physiocrats, emerged two and a half centuries ago, and who argued that the surplus product - a gift of nature. What is the most fertile land, rich in mines (then not yet producing oil and gas) give their owners a "pure gift of nature." And our new Physiocrats turns out that after subtracting the cost of extracting and transporting oil and gas, in the hands of monopolies and the state remains "pure gift of nature" and not part of the surplus labor of the entire society.

Today the government to this part of the surplus product of society remained in the hands of those in power in every way inhibits the growth of wages in manufacturing, keeping law sets the minimum wage (SMIC) on the level even below the subsistence level and does not agree to reduce the exorbitant tax rates VAT and other taxes.

The situation of regions, industries and workers, and exacerbated by the fiscal and credit policy of the center, which is based on the untwisting of inflation and the withdrawal of funds from donor regions.

Unwinding inflation, the state helps to produce the raw material monopolies additional benefit from depreciation of the ruble, as they are paid the same amount of output sold on the world market, more rubles, which they pay, within the country, with equipment suppliers and workers at the old prices. Primary benefit of these companies comes from the constant backlog of wages from rising inflation. And the state will receive additional revenue by cutting off part of the excess profits of commodity tycoons.

Naturally, as a result of such policies at the center of population is declining purchasing power. Real wages, pensions, allowances, scholarships decrease, compress the regional budgets, poorer regions. In those regions, so-called donors, even where income exceeds expenses, the center withdraws half, and in some more, ostensibly to maintain unprofitable.

The question is, why does it center?
 First, we must not forget that the state is involved in the existing monopolies and therefore the officials involved in sharing the profits of the monopolies. And, secondly, to manage, build vertical power, to keep power for themselves. And the same Dmitry Kozak openly about it says: "Who gives money, and that they should govern." So it turns out that the first center makes unprofitable regions, and then totally puts control of regional power to be able to quickly eliminate any possibility of a protest against such a policy center.

And the fact that the chain of command became mired in corruption, and that after four years of corruption in Russia has grown nearly tenfold, as stated in the analytical report INDEM, it's all little things in life that are probably not worth paying attention.

Vitaly Glukhov

 
21.10. 2005