Financial support of regions as a tool to equalize budgetary security of the constituent entities of the russian federation

Abstract

The authors have considered current forms and methods of financial support for the regions in Russia. The dynamic analysis allowed to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the interbudgetary transfers provided by the federal budget for the socio-economic development of the regions in recent years with a view to reducing their economic differentiation and ensuring the implementation of the state regional powers. The methods of economic and statistical analysis were used. The authors conclude that the main form of financial support for the regions of Russia is subsidies to equalize fiscal security. The study proved that the increasing financial assistance in the form of subsidies leads to a decrease of the budgetary support level of the regions. Financial support for the Russian regions in the form of subsidies and subventions has a number of serious shortcomings: The multi-channel financial assistance to the region and the lack of an integrated approach which leads to dispersal and low return on public funds and makes it difficult to control their spending; fragmentation of its provision; reduction of incentives for self-development; difficulty in assessing the amount of assistance needed; refinancing. The identified problems require further implementation of motivation mechanisms for the state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to increase the tax revenues of the regional budget. The article outlines possible ways to form financial incentives for independent regional development. It is proposed to provide the regions with consolidated subsidies. The regions will be able to independently determine the directions for their spending. This will allow for a balanced transition from the state control over spending the subsidies to the control over the results of their allocation.