Published: December 14th, 2016

Valeriy Gartung, MEF expert: "Recently at the Moscow Economic Forum, our idea about the abolition of the VAT refund to exporters of raw materials supported by the majority of experts and industrialists"

Well firstly, the information provided by Golikova, is absolutely reliable and confirmed by the relevant figures. What can the complete exhaustion of the Reserve Fund threaten with? Above all the further cuts in social programs, although they are, and so have nowhere to cut.

But we can say with full confidence that the depletion of the Reserve Fund could have been avoided. We might spend this money not as fast, could not touch the SWF if the government had listened to the proposals of "Fair Russia" and involving other sources of budget deficit.

Let me remind you that we offer for a long time to change the rules of public procurement, abandoning of purchases from a single supplier. Recently, the Federal Antimonopoly Service said that 95% of purchases, conducted by the Russian state corporations and state-owned companies, are carried out with a single supplier. It's even more than I once imagined! So, we can safely assume that if we go to the procurement on a competitive basis, this will allow us to save 2.2 trillion rubles. And this is a little less than the total budget deficit, which is scheduled for next year in the amount of 2.7 trillion rubles.

The second measure, which could be used - is the abolition of the VAT refund to exporters of raw materials. We know that from 1 trillion 900 billion, which are returned to all our exporters, the raw materials back to 1 trillion 600 billion, of which 1.5 trillion - oil and gas sector. We do not offer to return VAT to exporters of raw material resources, or at least partially return. So come, for example, in China, and it is normal practice. This would save between 1.5 to 3 trillion rubles.

And the third source involves restoring order to customs. Today, according to the documents some goods may import with the very different papers. It's the purest theft! Plus customs legislation legaly allows to import products at reduced duties. And if we put things in order in the customs area, we will collect additionaly at least 2-2,5 trillion rubles of budget revenues.

Speaking from the rostrum of the State Duma, I'll probably have a dozen times to call all of these sources. Moreover, recently, at the Moscow Economic Forum, our idea about the abolition of the VAT refund to exporters of raw materials supported by the majority of experts and industrialists who supported Boris Titov.

It is time for the government to listen to the expert community, by leading economists. If the government itself does not know what to do - let them listen to smart people and guided by their suggestions. The faster it will do it, the better it will be for our economy.

Source: regions.ru