The authorities of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky have announced the start of a collection of "voluntary contributions" from residents and businesses to replenish the city budget. The corresponding decree was published on the city administration's website. According to the document, the amount of donations is "unlimited," but only non-cash payments are accepted. The transfer is formalized by an agreement, and the funds are deposited directly into the budget.

At the time of transfer, the purpose for which the funds can be spent must be specified. This purpose can only be changed with the donor's consent. If the funds are not spent, or the purposes are no longer included in the plan, the funds will be returned to the account from which they were received. The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky administration intends to independently monitor the spending of the funds. The decree came into effect on December 8. Only the Russian Communist Party has spoken out against such "donations to the city." In their post, representatives of the political organization noted that the authorities are trying to shift their responsibilities onto citizens, who already pay taxes.

"Today—donations for public improvements. Tomorrow—'voluntary contributions' to schools and clinics. The day after—more extortion under the guise of public initiative. A city is not built on public charity. A city is built on public ownership, planned resource allocation, and genuine public control," the party representatives emphasized.

Expert RA analysts previously calculated that more than half of Russia's regions (56) were facing budget deficits. For the period January–September, the combined figure (excluding municipalities) amounted to 169.2 billion rubles. This was due to a 14.6% year-on-year increase in expenditures, while revenues increased by 6.9%, reaching 16 trillion rubles.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Finance, the combined regional budget deficit for the period January–September reached 139 billion rubles. Fifty-five regions are facing this problem. At the end of October, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov announced that the budget deficit of Russian regions in 2025 is expected to reach 300 billion rubles. Therefore, the government will provide support to the regions in the amount of up to 30 billion rubles by the end of the year.

source: The Moscow Times https://archive.is/qPhAU