MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. Russia’s Finance Ministry and the Central Bank plan a pilot project on using the digital ruble in certain types of budget expenditures next year, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said.

"We had a meeting headed by [Central Bank Governor] Elvira S. [Nabiullina] literally last week, on Friday, on the issue of using the digital ruble in the budget process. We agreed that starting next year, we will have a pilot on certain expenditures where the digital ruble will be used," he said addressing the Federation Council (upper house of the parliament).

The digital ruble is important not only for transfers and payments where its use is ensured by almost zero commissions, but also for being applied in sectors where it is necessary to ensure the targeted nature of the funds’ use, such as social payments, some subsidies allocated for purchases or provision of certain services, the minister noted.

"We agreed that we will define several types of such expenditures, on which the pilot will be launched next year. The Treasury has received a respective request. The Central Bank together with the Treasury will perform this task," he said.

The digital ruble is the third form of the national currency to be floated in addition to already existing cash and non-cash means. The digital ruble will be one more instrument of payments and transfers.