Press Release, 13.12.2018

Anna Cherepanova, head of the Yabloko faction in the Duma of Novgorod (North-West Russia), submitted amendments to the draft city budget for 2019. Cherepanova urged not to increase spending on labour remuneration for officials higher than the inflation index (4.3 per cent), nullify budget expenditures on PR of the Novgorod authorities in the media, optimise transportation expenses of officials, reduce budget investments of “Novgorod Vodokanal” (a unitary municipal company supplying water to the city), replacing them with the company’s own funds.

“It is impudence to finance sports halls, long-distance passenger transportation, restaurants, and other entertainment [for officials] that have no relation to the activity of the unitary enterprise at the expense of the “Novgorod Vodokanal”’s funds,” Cherepanova noted.

In addition, Anna Cherepanova proposes to save 6 million roubles on the celebration of the 75th anniversary of liberation of Novgorod from the Nazis during the World War II, reducing budget expenditures for the festivities to 1 million roubles. In particular, the MP calls not to spend budget funds for the historical reconstruction of “Convoying German captives to the Novgorod Kremlin” and other theatrical commemorative events, as she considers them a carnivalisation of the memory of the victims of the Second World War.

According to the head of the Yabloko faction in the Novgorod Duma, up to 41 million roubles of funds economised in such a way must be sent of the following: resettlement of people living in dilapidated housing (30 million ruubles); subsidies to NGOs dealing with the problems of persons with disabilities (1.2 million roubles); implementation of socially important projects and programmes of NGOs on a competitive basis (5 million roubles), as well as for the repairs of the Victory Monument memorial complex.

A video recording of Anna Cherepanova’s speech at a public hearing on the draft budget of Novgorod for 2019.