In Russia, they propose to introduce a new type of state assistance – a certificate for a newborn child to families with incomes below two regional subsistence levels. As Izvestia found out, the LDPR faction prepared such a bill for submission to the State Duma. The cost of the certificate may be about 30 thousand rubles, the authors of the initiative explained.
Help those in need
Members of the Federation Council and deputies of the LDPR faction developed a draft law “On a certificate for a newborn child.” They are invited to introduce in Russia a new type of state assistance to low-income families. This is a certificate that can be spent on essential goods for a newborn. The document is at the disposal of Izvestia.
“At the birth of a child, parents in the first days need to purchase a large number of things for the newborn – strollers, cribs, changing tables, baths, diapers, clothes and other things. For many families with low incomes, especially in student families, the purchase of such things causes great difficulties, ”the explanatory note to the bill says.
Parliamentarians clarify: the size of the lump sum allowance for the birth of a child in 2023 is 22,909 rubles – this is not enough to buy things for a newborn child. At the same time, the authors of the initiative remind that, for example, in Moscow, families receive a gift set “Our Treasure” or receive 20,000 rubles in return.
Photo: TASS/Artem Geodakyan
“The lack of such assistance for the birth of a child in other poorer regions causes people to feel social injustice and resentment,” politicians are sure.
In this regard, the Liberal Democratic Party proposes to issue a special certificate to families with incomes below two regional subsistence levels. Only Russian families who permanently reside in the country will be able to receive it.
It is proposed to assign the authority to assign a certificate to regional authorities. They, in turn, will allocate money for these purposes at the expense of subventions provided to them from the federal budget. At the same time, the nominal value of the certificate will be set by the government of the Russian Federation, depending on the average prices for domestically produced goods for a child, including a pram, clothes and hygiene items.
The size of the certificate should be at least two regional living wages per capita, that is, about 30 thousand rubles, Vadim Dengin, one of the authors of the bill, explained to Izvestia. At the same time, according to the senator, it is possible that under “these certificates Russian enterprises” that produce products for children were imprisoned. Then it will be beneficial for both businesses and families, the politician believes.
Photo: RIA Novosti / Igor Zarembo
From January 1, 2023, the federal cost of living per capita is 14,375 rubles. However, in some subjects, for example, in the Altai Territory or the Saratov Region, it is below 13 thousand.
“Now we need to take any measures so that families with children are supported, especially when it comes to newborns,” Yaroslav Nilov, head of the State Duma Committee on Labor and Social Policy, told Izvestia.
Izvestia turned to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor and the government with a request to assess the prospects for supporting the bill.
For no one will be superfluous
The head of the Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children, Nina Ostanina, believes that all Russian families, and not just low-income ones, should count on such a measure of support. According to her, this bill is especially important in the current unfavorable demographic situation, which continues to worsen every year.
Photo: TASS/Dmitry Rogulin
“In the current economic situation, such assistance in the form of a certificate will not be superfluous for anyone,” she told Izvestia. – Of course, they can tell us that the money for these purposes is not included in the budget. But this is an important step. The main thing is to have a consolidated desire to support it.
Help “Izvestia”
According to Rosstat, at the end of 2022, the natural population decline decreased by 45.5% compared to 2021 and amounted to 599,616 people. At the same time, the birth rate decreased by 6.9%, to 1,306,162 children. The population of the country as of January 1, 2023 amounted to 146.425 million people. During the year it decreased by 555 thousand rubles.
Only official inflation last year amounted to 11.9%, but prices for certain goods rose much more, Georgy Ostapkovich, director of the Center for Market Research at the Institute for Statistical Studies and the Economics of Knowledge at the Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.
— This is quite a reasonable initiative that deserves support. If this certificate covers the amount of inflation and price increases, then it will be good, especially if we are talking about low-income families, the expert explained.
Photo: TASS/Alexandra Mudrats
The economic situation is always reflected in the growth of the birth rate, as citizens assess the level of social protection, said the head of the Political Expert Group Konstantin Kalachev. Therefore, any measures to support low-income families in the face of a lack of income growth among the population and a fall in GDP can only be welcomed. But the question is whether there will be funds for these purposes in the federal budget, he added. In 2022, the real disposable income of the population decreased by 1% compared to 2021, Rosstat specified earlier in its report “The socio-economic situation in Russia”. The country’s GDP shrank by 2.1% last year.
