The state, according to the Constitution, guaranteesreceiving minimum cash income in the form of wages for working citizens and pensions, allowances and other social benefits for the relevant categories of the population. To determine the size of these payments, you need to know the amount of the subsistence minimum. This is the amount that is required to maintain health and life. To establish the size of the subsistence minimum, the concept of the consumer basket is introduced. What does it mean?
The consumer basket is that minimallya necessary set of products, services and non-food products, which makes it possible to carry out life activities and preserve human health. Its value in money terms is the amount of the subsistence minimum. In our country this concept was introduced in 1997 by the Federal Law No. 134-FZ. According to him, the composition of the consumer basket is determined at least every five years.
Количественное и качественное "содержимое" The consumer basket is established on the basis of special Methodological recommendations developed by the government with the participation of trade union associations. These recommendations determine the content of the consumer basket in the country as a whole and separately for each subject of the Russian Federation, taking into account local conditions and traditions, as well as the level of economic development of a particular region.
Consumer basket, according to the Methodicalrecommendations, compiled taking into account scientific data on the physical standards of consumption of basic products, statistical information on the actual consumption of goods and services in low-income families, the ability of the state to provide the necessary level of social protection.
The calculation is made separately for each of the three socio-demographic groups:
- The working population (this includes men under 59 years old, women under 54 years old). Disabled persons 1 and 2 grams are not included in this group.
- Pensioners (by age or disability).
- Children under 15 years old.
Food and other goods that make up the required minimum are grouped together. Their number is given in physical terms.
The basis of the list is foodbasket. Products are divided into categories, each of which has its own consumption standards. These are bread, cereals, pasta, legumes, potatoes, fresh vegetables and fruits, confectionery, sugar, meat and fish products, eggs, milk and dairy products, butter and other fats, as well as tea, salt, spices and so on. Consumption rates are given in kilograms per year (eggs - in pieces) for each of the three groups of the population separately in the form of a table.
In addition to products, the consumer basket hascomposed of a set of services and non-food items. These are clothes, shoes, underwear and hats, haberdashery goods, as well as stationery, household goods, medicines and basic necessities. For each type of product, the ratio of the minimum required quantity in pieces (shoes - in pairs) to the normative period of wear in years is given. Thus, the number of outerwear items for the working population is set at 3 pieces for a period of 7.6 years, for pensioners - the same number for 8.7 years. Both pairs of shoes are required for 6 pairs (working for 3.2 years, pensioners for 3.5 years), etc.
Expenditures on drugs and sanitation items are planned as a percentage of total non-food expenditures and amount to 10% for the working group and 15% for pensioners.
The consumer basket also providesthe cost of utilities services in accordance with current regulations, transportation (measured by the number of trips per year), cultural services (their value is set at 5% of the total cost of services).
Несмотря на прописанный в законодательстве mandatory review of the composition of the consumer basket once every 5 years, its contents for 2011-2012. Unchanged from 2006. Experts explain this by the need to introduce a new regulatory and statistical calculation method, which will be introduced in 2013. It is designed to eliminate the difference between the planned and actual level of consumption of goods and services and provide greater freedom to the regions.
