2. The monthly monetary compensation for buying books and periodicals of 150 rubles for university teachers and 100 rubles for other teachers is kept only for the employees of federal educational institutions. It is the local authorities who decide if they will give this compensation to others and how much. Besides, now these payments are taxable.
3. From now on the benefits foreseen for agriculture specialists do not concern teachers of schools situated far from municipal centers.
4. The graduates of pedagogic colleges who arrive to rural areas for work cannot count on subsidies for acquiring household items.
5. The workers of educational and scientific laboratories are left
without the benefits established for the employees of the corresponding harmful production.
Because of the lack of space it is impossible to enumerate all the losses suffered by various groups of citizens in accordance with the Law Number 122.
Scared by the benefit revolts the Kremlin and regional authorities quickly slowed down the monetization process. In some regions (for example in the Krasnoyarsk region) they postponed the monetization until 2006. The same happened in the Khanti-Mansiisky autonomous region. In other regions the monetization was frozen. In the Chelyabinsk region all the benefits were kept in their totality. In Primorie free transportation for benefit holders was kept. In the Kemerevo region the governor Tuleyev restored free transportation for pensioners. In Penza reduced transportation fare for pensioners was restored. In the Vladimir region war laborers and labor veterans will pay only 20 rubles per month for using the train. In Bashkiria the amount of compensation for the transportation expenses was doubled. And so forth.
On 01.18.05 Kommersant published the account of journalist Andrey Kolesnikov about the meeting of president Putin with the government, in particular minister Zurabov was there. The report is called “The Guarantor of Monetization” with the subtitle “The president forgave the ministers for the cancellation of benefits”. I will cite here only the last part of the report: “Vladimir Putin finally said that he would like to speak about the question ‘formulated before the New Year and is put in force from January 1st’. The president said that he would like to speak about the motives of the decision about the monetization of benefits (i.e. apparently he wanted to say that it was his decision), although he has already explained them many times and also how this decision is put in practice. Back in the USSR the system of benefits existed and functioned efficiently, in his view. And here is why.
– Only a small part of the country’s population was eligible for benefits, said he. After the fall of the USSR problems with the economy and the social sphere began (apparently there weren’t any before the fall. – A. K.)… And the State covered its failure in the sphere of economy with benefits, fulfilling its obligations only partially, what’s more. Now the government must be ready to criticism from left and right wing parties who, on one hand were creating an oligarchic system of capitalism in Russia and allowed Russia’s national resources to be robbed away, and on the other – were adopting popular but absolutely unfeasible decisions or contributed to their adoption, the president continued.
This way he wanted to hint to the critics of the ‘benefit’ reforms at the direction of the principal blow. Since there is no right-wing party in politics today, it is the communists who participate in what happens in the streets. I have to admit that this was rather provocative even for me, a person who does not react to the most extreme demonstrations of political cynicism.
– In result, the president told, – over 50% of the country’s population was listed in the category of benefit holders. And the other half had to pay for these benefits. In cities, the number of citizens who use public transport for free exceeded the number of honest workers. At the same time the quality of the service was decreased and the tariffs increased. Everybody was unhappy with that – both the benefit holders and those who supported them. So the motives of the decision taken by the State Duma and the government are clear! – The president suddenly declared.
I.e. he did not dare to publicly bear the responsibility of this decision!
Nonetheless Vladimir Putin considers this decision as principally right. But:
– Both the government and the leaders of the regions did not fulfill their tasks to the end: not to worsen the situation of those who need the State’s help.
But here the president quickly came to rescue the government and the leaders of regions:
– There are decisions that help to maintain social justice. Among them is providing a single transport document for an amount that does not exceed the amount of a minimal compensation.
Mister Putin comforted even those who did not even think about using public transportation: – You can decide not to buy a ticket and leave the money for yourself, was the president’s friendly advice…
Vladimir Putin is ready to bear responsibility for only one personal decision: index the pension not for 100 rubles and not from April 2005, like the government wanted, but for 200 and from March 1st: – in order to finally solve the transport problem, – finished the president, visibly satisfied.
Mikhail Zurabov /…/ said /…/ that the indexation can make up 240 rubles, in his opinion. He said that in fact everything is not so bad. Over a million passengers took the suburb train for free during the two weeks from the beginning of the year. There is only one difference with what was before January 1st 2005: – the citizens got used to take the train without any kind of tickets, disapprovingly said Zurabov, – but now they will have to go to the cashier and get a free ticket.”
The best comment, concluding this subject will consist of these two materials:
One is called “The social package for federal benefit holders”. The text: “What is a social package? It is a set of social services. It consists of:
Reduced fare for suburb trains;
Free drugs in the drugstore;
Medical treatment in a sanatorium (on the doctor’s order) – one ticket once per four year.
The cost of a social package is 40 rubles per month. From 2006 the benefit holders can refuse the social package or some part of it. For this they have to make a declaration to a pension fund until October 1st 2005. And thus, from 2006 you will receive money instead of the social package.”
The second commentary material is called “benefits currently in force”.
A paid vacation of 30-40 days and also additional paid vacations for extra time or hard climatic work conditions.
Service in a polyclinic (including for family members). The functionary can use such a polyclinic after his retirement.
Free acquiring of higher education. During his study the functionary receives a salary.
Service transportation (in relation to the post).
One-time subsidy for the acquiring of a residence. Is given once during all the period of the civil service.
A State summer house (for higher order functionaries).