Press Release, 2.04.2020

The web-site will generate proposals on measures to support those affected by the quarantine measures and the economic crisis. In addition, the website contains the proposals of the Yabloko party, as well as support measures voiced by federal and regional authorities.

Citizens will be able to support the measures proposed by Yabloko, as well as offer their own on the web-site. Basing on the discussion, Yabloko will prepare final packages of federal and regional proposals.

Yaroslav Shcherbakov, Chairman of the Chelyabinsk branch of Yabloko, notes that the party’s proposals are addressing citizens, those working all their lives, building the country and paying taxes. This plan is expensive, about 5 trillion roubles, but this money has been earned by Russian citizens. The plan also indicates where to get the money: from the National Wealth Fund, gold and foreign exchange reserves, reduction of expenditure on defence and security forces, lower the maintenance costs of a bloated bureaucratic apparatus.

“There are proposals that do not require budgetary funds, but require effective and transparent governance without corruption and cartels. They are aimed at increasing the availability and attractiveness of public procurement for small businesses. Given the crisis, the state should become the best customer having money and paying on time. The procurement market in 2020 should be at least 10 trillion roubles, and to stimulate economic growth at least 50 per cent should be produced by small and medium-sized enterprises,” the leader of the Chelyabinsk Yabloko noted.

According to Yaroslav Shcherbakov, the fight against corruption, the return of everything stolen and compensation for the damage in a crisis are more relevant than ever.

“Only detected cases of corruption in Russia constituted 55 billion roubles of damage in 2019. At the same time, the criminal cases that were connected or were allegedly connected with the former governors of the Chelyabinsk region amounted to over 20 billion roubles. It is time to return everything home,” Yaroslav Shcherbakov emphasises.

It should be noted that the first package of Yabloko’s proposals on urgent measures in the situation of COVID-19 pandemic was sent to the President, the Government and the parliament.