The income of officials has always been of interest to ordinary people who are curious about where a deputy has a car worth more than 10 million rubles, given that he receives only 50 thousand a month.
This is at a time when ordinary people working in the public sector simply can not live on the minimum that they receive. And about retirees in general without tears you can’t talk. Why is there such a division of income between citizens? Why are the salaries of officials not comparable with the salaries of ordinary citizens?
And everything, as usual: the rich get richer, the poor - even poorer. Every time we see officials, we perceive them as corrupt officials. They are not to blame, the system itself, which allows you to take bribes, have "left" money, is to blame.
Moreover, the income statement of officials is not a weapon in the fight against corruption. That's because our smart politicians have long learned to stay clean thanks to their families.
What makes officials fill out an income statement?
Since the introduction of the Law on the Basics of Preventing Corruption into force, journalists have been constantly finding “black spots” on the reputation of officials. Whether we like it or not, a deputy who lives only on his salary cannot go on vacation to expensive resorts, drive expensive cars, or own several apartments in the center of Moscow.
Despite the fact that the declarations are published, there is still confidence that they show far from the real income of officials. After all, where did they get large corporations, property abroad and a large fleet of vehicles? For a long time, everyone learned how to design their business for relatives and close friends, this has become the norm for any wealthy person. Consequently, official information about the income of officials cannot be considered reliable.
Why do deputies hide their income?
The main problem of the modern government of the Russian Federation is that almost all the deputies are businessmen or represent the interests of not specific people, but of some specific groups. All this leads to the fact that the real income of officials is hidden from the general public. They do not want the public to know all the information about party financing and business projects.
What are the incomes abroad?
In different countries of the world, the income of officials is different. In some it is at such a level that they are the richest not only within their own country, but also in the whole world. In other states, these are ordinary people with an average level of income. But in any case, the income of Russian officials is at a very high level, especially when compared with the average earnings of ordinary citizens.
And this is not surprising. Indeed, in developed countries, to be an official is simply to work for your state and people. In countries that are developing, being a deputy means having unlimited access to the state feeder.
Poroshenko overtook all political leaders in terms of income
The Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko earned the most. In 2014, he managed to earn $ 6.49 million in revenue. He earned the lion's share thanks to his business, especially at the expense of the Roshen company, which he promised to sell immediately after the election, if he wins.
Does the presence of business have a bad effect on political activity? It has long been proven that this state of affairs stimulates corruption and the adoption of laws that are necessary to promote their business projects, and not to improve the lives of ordinary citizens.
All other presidents, compared with Petro Poroshenko, earned at least 15 times less.
For comparison, it can be noted that the average Ukrainian salary in 2014 amounted to 3500 hryvnia per month. At today's foreign exchange rate, this amounts to 166.67 US dollars. In one year, the average Ukrainian earned $ 2,000.
Obama earns 10 times more than the average American
For example, US President Barack Obama earned 395 thousand US dollars. Last year, he managed to get about 100 thousand dollars more. He received an adequate income for the president of such a huge country, given his political influence.
In addition to the salary, the US president receives income from the publishing house Dystel and Golderich, which sells the biography of the president.
Given that the average salary of Americans is almost 4,000 US dollars per month and 48 thousand per year, the president overtook them only 10 times.
Angel steps on heels of Barack Obama
Angela Merkel, who tirelessly leads the European Union after Germany, also worked hard in 2014. She earned a little less than the president of the United States of America - 327.7 thousand US dollars.
The average German resident receives a little more than 3 thousand euros per month, so the approximate ratio between the income level of the deputy and the local resident is close to the United States.
How much does the president of South Africa earn?
The President of the Republic of South Africa , Jacob Zuma, received income in 2014 in the amount of 227.576 thousand US dollars. Which is pretty good, considering the average salary of the population - $ 1838. That is, the ratio is approximately the same as that of Obama and Merkel.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that Zuma has five wives and twenty children. To feed them all, you need to have a solid income.
Vladimir Putin received more than Alexander Lukashenko
Only 147.267 thousand US dollars, which is equivalent to 7.5 million rubles, the President of Russia managed to earn in 2014. Thanks to an increase in the wages of officials, he managed to double his income by almost half in comparison with last year's result.
As you can see, Vladimir Putin receives less than the president of South Africa. But if you compare with the average salary of Russians, which is approximately 30 thousand rubles, this is a lot.
The president of the brotherly country of Belarus was able to work hard last year, according to official figures, by 33.873 thousand US dollars. One of the most modest heads of state, Lukashenko does not own either houses, apartments or cottages. He does not even have a single car.
There is no business in the assets of the president’s family; everyone receives a low income. Perhaps, for such modesty and closeness to ordinary people, all Belarusians love him.
Income of some officials of the Russian Federation for 2014
Official salaries of officials are gradually growing, despite the difficult time for the economy. Unfortunately, teachers and doctors to raise the salary of money in the budget is not enough.
Last year, the former history teacher Sergei Siushov managed to earn the most Russian officials. A deputy of the State Council of Mordovia showed in the 2014 income statement as much as 6.788 billion rubles. Yes, this is not a typo, almost seven billion rubles. How did he manage to earn so much? The manufacture and sale of building materials are the foundation of his business. He is also engaged in agriculture and other areas of entrepreneurship. Despite such income, the official is considered modest and non-public.
Vladimir Gruzdev, who is the governor of the Tula region, managed to earn 1.074 million rubles, and if we consider family income, then 1.7 billion rubles.
Such figures will not surprise anyone. Among politicians, it is not customary to draw up property, business and other values for a state person. As we have said, very often the names of relatives are written in documents.
What to do?
The income declaration, which officials must fill out, does not justify itself to the extent necessary. It is enough to rewrite your business to a friend - and that's it, it will be very difficult to track business flows.
The declared incomes of officials are not the amount by which you can navigate, trying to make out in this problem. In the fight against corruption, a number of reforms are needed. For example, most civil servants complain about the lack of high salaries, which does not encourage the game to be fair. Because of this, the need arises and the search for ways for additional income. But even the official income of officials over the past five years has grown 4.5 times, judging by their tax returns.
But, it would seem, what does it mean for a person who earns more than 1 million rubles in his business, an addition to his salary? In the total amount of income, the earnings that they are paid from the state budget make up a very small percentage, which is not able to radically change the attitude of an official to his work.
First of all, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between the business and political activities of each deputy. Their work only prevents them from working.
Secondly, it is necessary to toughen the punishment for various manifestations of corruption. Penalties should frighten those who contemplate whether or not to take a bribe. Moreover, there should be not only fines, but also imprisonment.
Thirdly, it is necessary to strengthen public control over the activities of civil servants, to hold open events where people will exchange experiences, share comments.
And most importantly, the average salary of an official should not increase faster than the income level of ordinary citizens of the Russian Federation.