Not to live on the minimum. Why the required amount is underestimated by three times
What is today the consumer basket, as it affects subsistence and how it should be revised.
The normal cost of living — 27 thousand roubles a month. A “socially acceptable consumer budget” calculated by the experts of the Russian center level of life. It is 3 times more than the official subsistence level of 9 thousand RUB.
Prices are rising. At least falls.
A living wage is not only small, but also decreases. Despite rising prices for food, utilities, clothing, footwear, equipment and so on. The government is explained by lower prices for potatoes, cabbage, carrots and other vegetables. They say that they take 30% of the consumer basket of our citizens, therefore, the fall of prices led to the reduction of the subsistence minimum in the fourth quarter of 2016, But who is in this basket? And why do the prices of potatoes depends the welfare of many people?
The dissonance between rising prices and falling living wage was noticed not only by ordinary citizens but also deputies of the state Duma. The results held in the state Duma “Government hour” Minister of labour and social protection RF Maxim Topilin has prepared a draft decree with the recommendation “to expand the minimum set of food products in the new consumer basket”. In a press-service of the Ministry of labor “AIF” confirmed that the Ministry is currently reviewing a grocery cart, but what exactly is going to change until advertised. And they say that the update potrebkorziny is quite a natural process. It should be changed not less than once in 5 years. The last time she was at the end of 2012, now we have to upgrade by the beginning of 2018.
The consumer basket and the subsistence minimum. What’s the difference?
Recall that in the consumption basket includes the necessary for living a minimal set of products, services and goods. To their value added expenditure of a person on mandatory payments and fees (income, property and other taxes), and get a living wage (children and retirees no income tax, so they have at least less).
That is, potrebnostey is the basis of a living wage, which today depends on the size of pensions, most benefits and social benefits. Now in the regions, in principle, provide social assistance, families with many children, veterans of labor, home front workers, pensioners and other categories based on the size of the regional “minimum”. For example, a person’s income is less than the cost of 1-2 — he gets the benefit less will not receive. The result are truncated, many people who previously had free travel, pension supplements, benefit for 3 children or compensation for housing and communal services.
How to change the basket?
“The method of determining the value of the consumer basket requires a critical review, — is convinced the Deputy of the state Duma Olga batalina. — According to the existing formula that calculates the minimum set of food, and then it just multiplied by 2 times ½ is food products, and ½ — services. That is, mere proportion of what the real dynamics of prices, for example for housing and communal services, shoes or clothing is not considered. As a result, it affects the objectivity of the assessment of the minimum human needs”.
By the way, until 2012 did take into account necessary for human life, food products, socks, underwear, pants, shoes, dresses, hats, jackets, refrigerators, TVs, sofas, etc. are considered Separately spending on utilities, transportation and other services. In the current methodology, it came down to counting exclusively food.
Hence turned this nonsense — cabbage with potatoes fell in price, so the consumer basket and the minimum subsistence level became smaller.
As if one potato is alive Russian people, and it is not necessary to pay each month for electricity, water, heat, shoes, clothing, and bus tickets.
“It is necessary to change the method of calculating basket and return to the detailed prescription of all goods and services but in a more modern interpretation, — said Vyacheslav Bobkov, General Director of the Russian center level of life. — In the grocery part, in my opinion, it is necessary to revise the goods-representatives — there should be not only low-grade pork or cheap chicken, but the quality boneless beef. To calculate the cost of services it is necessary to take not only the transport and housing services, but also modern information, which are now paid, many citizens (Internet, mobile communication) and also some paid educational and medical services. All this is not taken into account, so the estimated size of the consumer basket does not match the actual.
By the way, when we in the all-Russian center of living standards considered to be “socially acceptable consumer budget” (as we called it), he’s turned 27 thousand the last time it was at the end of 2012, which is 3 times higher than the official subsistence level of 9 thousand RUB.
And it is understandable why this happens — the current methodology simply does not take into account many vital expenses of a person.
By next year the law requires to update the consumer basket based on contemporary realities. In my opinion, the Ministry must do it openly and publicly. It is necessary to gather the experts, to organize a debate. We cannot allow the issue resolved behind the scenes — determining the cost of the consumer basket, and then living-wage affects the interests of millions of people in our country.
What today is in the basket?