vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #548 / Social life / Reading article...

The draft of Vladivostok’s 2007 budget presented by the city’s officials at public hearings on December 8, estimates revenues at 5.6 billion rubles ($215.6 million) while expenditures are expected to reach 6.08 billion rubles ($234 million).

According to the head of the administration's Department of Finance and Economics Olga Kozeratskaya, education and public utility services will make for the biggest expenditures.

Educational programs will receive 2.4 billion rubles ($ 91.5 million) from the budget while utility services will enjoy 1.2 billion rubles of support, Kozeratskaya said, a press statement from her office reported.

908.4 million rubles ($35 million) will be spent on health and sports related programs, Kozeratskaya said in her report. Improving and maintaining the city’s territories will require 797 million rubles from the budget.

Development of the national economy, heating, energy, transport and city planning will take 329.4 million rubles ($12.6 million). A social program aiming to cover the costs of heating and electricity for donation-dependant people will require an additional 21.4 million rubles from the budget. Another 250 million rubles is planned to be spent on maintaining the city’s transportation services.

Social projects like providing support to families with underage children, subsidies to families with low income, support for the disabled and the like will receive 170 million rubles.

79.8 million rubles ($3 million) will be spent on maintaining national security and the police force.

Youth politics as well as educational and athletic programs for children will receive 51.5 million rubles while Vladivostok cultural projects will get 63.5 million rubles, the report said.

Subsidies to those pensioners enjoying benefits provided by either the federal or local administration will amount to 8.3 million rubles within the program for elderly residents.

Participants of the public hearings approved and voted to accept the suggested draft budget adding such suggestions as increased financing of road improvement programs and compensation for transportation expenses for pensioners. Other suggestions included projects to set up residences for homeless children, build more stadiums, and to set up financial support systems for graduate teachers.