Appeal by the Novgorod branch of Yabloko, 6.04.2020

Photo: Anna Cherepanova

Anna Cherepanova, Chair of the Novgorod branch of the Yabloko party and deputy of the Duma of Veliky Novgorod, sent an appeal to Governor Andrei Nikitin to immediately take anti-crisis measures and provide aid to people and businesses.

Here comes the full text of the appeal:

By decree of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin No. 239 from April 2, 2020, days off are set [in Russia] until 30 April, 2020, because of this announced “vacation” the residents of the Novgorod region are in a difficult financial situation. Your decree “On the introduction of high alert regime” with all the changes and the measures taken by the Government of the Novgorod Region to implement it do not say a word about the direct support of all those who work at private enterprises and organisations whose activities are suspended, as well as all who have lost their jobs or were forcibly sent on unpaid leave and remain now for the period of regular days off without his/her previously received income. Given that two-thirds of Russian citizens have no savings, most of these people are left without means of subsistence. Citizens have nothing to buy food, medicine and essential goods with, pay for housing and utility services and pay for loans.

We consider the anti-crisis measures adopted by the Government of the Novgorod Region as insufficient and ineffective, they are primarily aimed at restrictions and sanctions, and not economic support to citizens.

In this situation, the Government of the Novgorod region is obliged to find possibilities and direct the necessary budget funds to help people and businesses.

The Novgorod branch of the Yabloko Party proposes to immediately implement the following action plan:

For residents of the Novgorod region

1) pay a lump sum from the regional budget in the amount of 35,000 roubles to employees of private enterprises and organisations whose activities are suspended, self-employed, individual entrepreneurs without employees, as well as to all those who have lost their jobs or are forcibly sent on unpaid leave;

2) cancel [mandatory] fees for major repairs o fhousing for six months from April to September 2020. In a number of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, such measures have already been taken;

3) pay subsidies from the regional budget in the amount of 30 per cent of the cost of housing and utility services for six months from April to September 2020 to employees of private enterprises and organisations whose activities are suspended, self-employed, individual entrepreneurs without employees, to all those who have lost their jobs or are forced sent on unpaid leave, as well as to citizens who are in quarantine and self-isolation;

4) pay food subsidies in the amount of the specified subsistence minimum to citizens who have an income per family member below the subsistence minimum established in the Novgorod region. This money should be transferred from the regional budget to the accounts of special plastic debit cards intended exclusively for the purchase of food and other essential goods;

5) provide food sets for children from low-income families who received free hot meals in schools.

For small and medium-sized businesses:

1) reduce rates on the simplified taxation system for the “income” object from 6 to 1 per cent, for the “income minus expenses” object from 15 to 5 per cent;

2) “nullify” in 2020 property taxes and land tax for enterprises of “affected industries”;

3) exempt individual entrepreneurs and enterprises of the “affected industries” from the payment of lease payments under the lease of land, state and municipal property in 2020;

4) reduce utility tariffs (electricity, water and sanitation, heating, solid waste disposal).

We propose financing of the aid be means of the following:

– abolishing of expenses for exhibitions, congresses, festivals, forums, holiday and solemn events;

– reduction of costs for the maintenance of the excess state apparatus and institutions subordinate to the government (excluding social ones) in the amount of at least 20 per cent;

– 50 per cent reduction of the expenditure on maintaining state-owned media and publicising the activities of authorities;

– abolition of all tax benefits to large highly profitable businesses;

– “nullification” of subsidies for reimbursement of lost income by utilities by the results of an independent audit of tariffs for heat and hot water.