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.
Quantitative and qualitative "content"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.
The consumer basket, according to the Methodicalrecommendations is made taking into account scientific data on physical norms of consumption of basic products, statistical information on the actual consumption of goods and services in families with low incomes, the state's ability to provide the necessary level of social protection.
The calculation is made separately for each of the three socio-demographic groups:
- The able-bodied population (this includes men under 59, women up to 54 years). Persons with disabilities 1 and 2 g are not included in this group.
- Retired (by age or disability).
- Children under 15 years.
Food products and other goods that make up the required minimum are grouped together. Their quantity is given in natural terms.
The basis of the list is foodbasket. Products are divided into categories, for each of which their own consumption rates are set. This is 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. The norms of consumption 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 hasa set of services and non-food items. These are clothes, shoes, linens and hats, haberdashery goods, as well as stationery, household goods, medicines and essentials. For each type of product, the ratio of the minimum required quantity in pieces (shoes in pairs) to the standard wear period in years is given. So, the amount of outerwear for the working population is set at 3 pieces for a period of 7.6 years, for pensioners - the same amount for 8.7 years. Shoes for both, and others are laid on 6 pairs (working - for 3.2 years, for pensioners - for 3.5 years), etc.
Expenditures for medicines and sanitation are planned as a percentage of total non-food expenditures and make up 10% for the working group, and 15% for retired people.
The consumer basket also providescosts for payment of utility services in accordance with current regulations, transport (measured by the number of trips per year), cultural services (their value is set at 5% of the total cost of services).
Despite being prescribed in the legislationmandatory revision of the composition of the consumer basket once in 5 years, its content for 2011-2012. has not changed compared to 2006. Experts explain this by the necessity of introducing a new normative-statistical calculation method, which will be introduced in 2013. It is designed to eliminate the difference between the planned and actual consumption of goods and services and give greater freedom to the regions.
