The total federal budget spending on combating the direct and indirect consequences of the coronavirus pandemic in Russia in 2020 amounted to 2.856 trillion rubles, or 12.5 percent of total budget expenditures. The Accounts Chamber estimated the cost of the epidemic, RBC reports.
The total federal budget expenditures last year amounted to 22.82 trillion rubles, which is 4.6 trillion rubles more than in 2019, and 3.2 trillion rubles more than planned for 2020 before the pandemic crisis .
It is noted that as of January 1, 2021, 153 decisions were made to allocate funds from the government reserve fund to prevent the impact of the deteriorating economic situation on the development of economic sectors, prevent and eliminate the consequences of the pandemic, protect the health of Russians and provide assistance to the infected, as well as to support citizens in an epidemic.
In January, it was reported that the coronavirus pandemic was the most powerful blow to the federal budget of Russia since the beginning of the century. The effect of the pandemic has exceeded the effect of the 2008-2009 and 2014 crises. In the current crisis, the authorities are faced with a 7 percent decrease in budget revenues compared to 2019, while spending in nominal terms increased by 25 percent, and in real terms by 21 percent. In particular, spending on health care almost doubled, spending on social support for the population – by 43 percent, and spending on regions – by 39 percent.