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Crimea and Sevastopol

Russian government surprised to hear Crimea does not receive budget money

"The professional and quality levels of the regional authorities cause concern of the government," the source said

MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. The Russian government was surprised at the statement made by head of Crimea Sergei Aksenov claiming no money from the budget had been allocated to the republic.

"Aksenov’s sensational statement surprised the government officials," a source at the Russian government told TASS.

"On September 18, 2015, we made agreements with Crimea and Sevastopol, and 2.77 billion roubles from the federal budget were transferred for projecting and construction of 139 objects under the Programme (to Crimea - 1.98 billion roubles)." However, "as of now, from the subsidies to those region’s authorities contracts have been signed for the total of 308 million roubles."

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One year on from Crimea’s reunification with Russia

"Besides, since under the Programme, most financing planned for 2015 was impossible to use, and following suggestions from the Crimean authorities the money (15.7 billion roubles) was transferred to 2016," the source said.

The rescheduled beginning of financing of the Programme’s most objects and the late transfer of money were caused by the situations, where "suggestions from the regional authorities on facilities under investment projects keep changing permanently, and the remaining low quality of cost-breaking plans for agreed projects."

One of examples is a road, where the cost after an inspection was reduced from 4.2 billion roubles, like the Crimean government had quoted, to 2.6 billion roubles.

"The professional and quality levels of the regional authorities cause concern of the government," the source said. "Thus, back in early November the ministry of economic development and the finance ministry received orders to estimate the damage to the federal budget from the budget assignments for 2015 allocated for implementation of the Programme, and to offer sanctions against regional officials."

On December 18, 2015, at a roundtable session in Moscow - "Crimea and Challenges for Russia. Development under Sanctions" - Crimea’s head Sergei Aksenov claimed the republic had not received "a cent" under the Programme for social and economic development of Crimea and Sevastopol to 2020. Thus, he said, the republic should obtain authorities to spend the federal budget’s money without agreeing that with federal authorities. He compared the requested authorities with similar authorities of the country’s president.

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Crimea and Sevastopol

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