Russia today

[blindpig]

Russian authorities are trying to save the IT sector
03/05/2022

Will the market economy be able to get out?

In connection with the imposition of sanctions by Microsoft , IBM , Oracle , AMD , Intel , Cisco , the Russian authorities have thought about allowing the use of "pirated" software, Kommersant reports . Earlier, the President signed a decree on measures to accelerate the development of the IT industry in Russia.



Among the measures to support the domestic IT industry, the following are envisaged:

*the abolition of criminal and administrative liability for the use of software unlicensed in the Russian Federation, “belonging to a copyright holder from countries that have supported the sanctions”;
*reduction of audits of IT organizations;
*providing companies with preferential loans at a rate not exceeding 3% and applying a zero rate on income tax;
*improvement of living conditions, increase in wages and the possibility of obtaining preferential mortgages for industry workers;
*deferment from conscription for military service;
*simplification of procedures for employment of foreign citizens involved in work in accredited organizations, and for these citizens to obtain a residence permit.

To what extent these measures will be able to mitigate the consequences of the imposed sanctions, time will tell. There are big doubts that foreign programmers will be drawn to Russia in "slender columns" in the hope of a simplified procedure for obtaining a residence permit and preferential mortgages. It is much more likely that the outflow of good programmers from the country will increase.

The Ministry of Digital Development announced support for stimulating the transition to Russian software. And the department does not agree with the abolition of liability for the use of unlicensed software.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the Russian "special operation" can drag on for a long time. And this will require from the economy not only programmers, but also competent representatives of technical professions: chemists, turners, millers, locksmiths, not to mention designers and technologists. So far, Russia has very limited possibilities to solve this problem. The market has done a good job of optimizing the training system.

In any case, the Russian Federation will have to somehow overcome the “suddenly” difficulties that have arisen. And very soon we will find out how strong a profit-driven economy is in the face of war and large-scale isolation. The experience of the Russian Empire does not add optimism.

https://www.rotfront.su/rossijskie-vlas ... spasti-se/

The Central Bank of the Russian Federation allowed banks to hide their financial statements
06.03.2022
The financial sector in Russia is transferred to manual control

According to the new order of the Central Bank , from February, Russian banks should not disclose on their Internet resources the main forms of reporting under Russian Accounting Standards (RAS). Also, this information will not be published on the website of the Central Bank. The reason for hiding data is called "limiting the risks of credit institutions associated with the sanctions imposed by Western countries" . Also , a bill was recently adopted that significantly expands the powers of the Central Bank. The financial sector of Russia is actually transferred to manual control. The only question remains, in whose interests it will be carried out.


Elvira Nabiullina, Head of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

The order appeared on the website of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation today. It is noted that "credit institutions will continue to provide these reports to the Bank of Russia, which will allow full effective supervision of their activities, as well as analysis of the sector" . At the same time, banks can "if necessary, disclose reporting to their counterparties as part of normal business processes" .

The decision of the Central Bank appeared a day after Sberbank was supposed to publish its financial statements for February . This was not done, moreover, the press service of Sberbank announced without explanation that there would be no publication.

Journalists note that before the order of the Central Bank, its website monthly published data on the turnover sheet of banks (form No. 101), which reflects the movement of funds and balances on all accounts of the balance sheet, the calculation of equity (form No. 123), as well as information on compliance mandatory standards (form No. 135). Also quarterly reports on losses and profits (Form No. 102) were published. Now this data will be closed.

https://www.rotfront.su/tsb-rf-razreshi ... -svoyu-ot/

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The list of countries unfriendly to Russia has been expanded
colonelcassad
March 7, 14:07



Russia has radically expanded the list of unfriendly countries, where previously only the US and the Czech Republic were located.
Now on the list are:

EU Member States, USA, Australia, Albania, Andorra, UK (including Jersey, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Gibraltar), Iceland, Canada, Liechtenstein, Micronesia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, San Marino, North Macedonia, Singapore, Taiwan, Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland and Japan.

https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/7480463.html

Economic news. Gas - $3,000 per 1,000 cubic meters
colonelcassad
March 7, 10:50



Economic news.

Ruble 105 (Central Bank, 140 in Europe)
Oil - 139 (Brent, historical record 147)
Gas - 2826 (historical record broken three times in the morning - the stopping point is not yet clear) - already over 3000.
Gold - 1988 dollars per ounce

Prices are also rising for wheat, corn, aluminum, fertilizers, etc. etc.
The consequences of the operation in Ukraine are already affecting most regions of the world.

Of course. after the end of the operation in Ukraine, one way or another, there will be a rebound from the bottom, followed by stabilization, but I strongly doubt that everything will return to the situation that existed before February 2022. Along with the growing geopolitical rift, tectonic changes also await the world economy.

https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/7480208.html

All above Google Translator

[blindpig]

The collapse of the ruble led to a strike in Tatarstan
07.03.2022
Workers achieve wage indexation

In Nizhnekamsk, employees of a construction company that is building a plant on the territory of Nizhnekamskneftekhim demanded wage indexation after the sharply depreciated ruble. Workers from Turkey and Central Asia, whose wages are pegged to the dollar, have lost about 40% in earnings. Absenteeism forced the company's management to agree to the demand and recalculate wages at the new rate.



Gemont construction company , one of Turkey's leading contractors for the construction of industrial facilities, is building an ethylene complex as part of the strategy of import substitution of industrial products.

Ethylene is a hydrocarbon widely used in the chemical industry, including the production of synthetic ethyl alcohol.

The ruble has fallen in price by almost 40% over the past week and a half , which has significantly reduced the income of foreign workers who are paid in Russian rubles and transferred home in US dollars. Having received a salary calculated at the old rate, the builders refused to go to work with the requirement to take into account the real exchange rate of the ruble and pay the difference.

Due to the suddenly frozen construction, the management entered into a dialogue with the protesters and agreed to transfer salaries at the new rate during the day on March 5 and continue to promptly take into account the ruble exchange rate in labor contracts, Chelninskiye Izvestia reports .

The unification of workers and awareness of their interests helped to defend the right to a decent salary and keep earnings. If the builders had not united and had not taken action, then the owners of the company would have continued to pay salaries at the old rate, not paying attention to the impoverished employees.

https://www.rotfront.su/obval-rublya-pr ... ke-v-tata/

Google Translator

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The Russian state is looking for new ways to save capital
08.03.2022
Saving employers' fortunes is the work of legislators

Amid rising inflation, Russian authorities are lifting the requirement for individuals to pay a 20% value-added tax on the purchase of precious metals, Izvestia reported . The State Duma has already approved the relevant law. This measure, according to experts, will expand the opportunities for saving capital and, to a certain extent, help reduce inflationary risks.



“Yes, it will make gold bars available to investors. Tomorrow they will not appear in banks, but in the near future they will become available. Precious metals are a hedge against inflation over a long time horizon. Year after year is not necessary, and even a decade can be unprofitable. But if you avoid buying precious metals at high prices, then the hedge will be good, ” Anton Prokudin , chief macroeconomist of the management company Ingosstrakh-Investments, explained to the publication .

Previously, when buying physical metals in banks, it was necessary to pay 20% VAT on top of the current price, and when selling, this amount was not refunded.

If the transfer of savings from foreign currency to gold yields results, experts suggest extending this measure to legal entities.

“You need to understand that in the current conditions there is little that can guaranteedly insure capital against inflation. The main goal is to save money. Investments in gold work well over a long period of time, this is exactly what is needed, ” Anna Bodrova , senior analyst at Alpari IAC, explains the purpose of the bill .

It is clear that only those who have significant savings in banks can save their savings from inflation by buying up bullion of precious metals. A significant part of our fellow citizens who “do not fit into the market” do not have such opportunities . They do not think about "long-term prospects". They should be collecting money today for bread and butter.

But the state machine is not in their hands. Accordingly, the priority "support measures" are directed by the government and lawmakers primarily to save the capital of their employers. There are doubts that the authorities have something essential for the poor Russians, except for the advice to “hold on”, “pull up your belts” to a crunch in your spine and work even harder and harder for a “socially responsible” and “nationally oriented” business.

This means that our ordinary fellow citizens need to look around once again and find those with whom they could unite and begin the struggle for their rights, for the opportunity to write the laws necessary for the working people themselves, as the workers of other countries do .

https://www.rotfront.su/rossijskoe-gosu ... vsyo-novy/

Google Translator

[blindpig]

Russia will do everything for independence from the West and will not live with its back
03/10/2022

Who brought the Russian people to such a state?

Russian President Vladimir Putin , during a meeting with members of the government , said that Russia cannot exist in a humiliated state, bending its back. At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov , after meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba , announced that Russia would do everything to achieve complete independence from the West. The statements of state officials are quite in line with the already familiar anti-sanction propaganda: Russia is not afraid of anything, the country will proudly emerge from the trials that have fallen to its lot. “We will make it so that <…> no uncle - not Sam, not anyone else - can make decisions that are aimed at destroying our economy”, - Lavrov noted separately. And only the question of who exactly the Russian people are turning their backs on has not received an answer.


Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin

Lavrov said that Moscow is able to cope with all the difficulties that arose after the introduction of Western sanctions.

“We will get out of this crisis, and we will no longer have any illusions that the West can be a reliable partner,” he stressed.

The minister added that the companies that have suspended their activities in Russia are not guided by the interests of their business, but have only become a tool in the hands of the Western political elite.

At the same time, Vladimir Putin announced the impossibility for Russia to exist in a humiliated state, bending its back, like some other countries. According to him, sanctions pressure on Russia has always been exerted, but now it, having a complex character, really causes difficulties. Nevertheless, the country is waiting for increased independence, independence and sovereignty.

“Russia cannot exist in such a miserable and humiliated state,” Putin concluded.

In the media field, the Russian government continues to separate itself from the usual "Western partners". However, the elites do not answer the question of who really forced Russia to bend its back, who really humiliated our country by privatizing the economy, cutting the budget, and mass destruction of industries. No one is able to "play back" and make Russia "great again", but do the plunderers of state property deserve to shed tears over the lost past?

Our country, firmly attached to the world market, is not able to separate from it without terrible losses. We see that the losses should be borne by those who have made a significant contribution to its current state. Today, nothing will lift Russia from its knees, except for a non-market socialist economy.

https://www.rotfront.su/rossiya-sdelaet ... visimosti/

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Almost half of Yekaterinburg residents are ready to give up imported goods
09.03.2022

Trapped in illusions

According to a survey conducted in Yekaterinburg, 21% of residents are ready to refuse the goods of firms that have left Russia. Another 28% of respondents stated their agreement to refuse the use of imported goods if there is a replacement for these goods.



Western countries have found a good way to put pressure on Russia. Over the past 30 years, Russia has largely lost the industrial potential it inherited from the USSR. Russia now produces very little modern electronics, aircraft, bearings, machine tools, medicines, and other essential industrial products. At the same time, even the products now manufactured in Russia contain quite a lot of imported components, and many types of “Russian” goods are such only in name. A good example here is the story of the “Russian” Elbrus processors, which are actually manufactured in Taiwan.

The announced sanctions have deprived the country of a significant part of its most important industrial products, which is already threatening a transport crisis. Also, the production of many types of industrial products is now under threat. In addition, the limited supply of electronics and the soaring dollar exchange rate are leading to a rapid increase in the prices of consumer electronics and appliances.

Naturally, so far the majority of the country's population is weakly feeling the consequences of the sanctions. However, those times are not far off when they will overwhelm Russia, and all segments of the population will feel for themselves. This will most strongly affect the working people, who will bear the brunt of the events that are taking place.

https://www.rotfront.su/pochti-polovina ... terinburg/

All above Google Translator

[blindpig]

Ministry of Industry and Trade threatens to regulate prices in metallurgy
03/13/2022

Tough conversation between the Deputy Minister and representatives of the industry

Last Thursday, March 10, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov held a meeting with representatives of the metallurgical industry. On it, he demanded that the "captains" of metallurgy reduce prices for metal products, or leave the market. These words were widely covered in the press and gave some reason to think that the Russian authorities were adopting almost “socialist” methods. Is it so? And in whose interests are such harsh measures applied?


Viktor Evtukhov, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade

At the meeting, the official addressed the representatives of the metallurgical business, using the word "comrades" , and reproached them for the fact that they had already "earned a lot of money . " In his opinion, now the margin on goods must be reduced, even if this leads to non-payment of annual dividends. The press quotes Yevtukhov as follows:

“Comrade producers. The prices that are currently set for the main types of metal products do not suit us. Prices should be lowered. To do this, you provide us with the cost of your production ... The maximum margin that we can allow you is 20%, maybe 25%. All prices must be recalculated. Those who do not want to - those from the market in figs ... Last year you earned a lot of money. Now we need to work for the country... We'll have to work on low profitability, maybe you won't pay dividends next year, but that's not my question anymore. Maybe we will have to postpone the modernization program. Although the money [earned] last year allows us to hope that you do not have such problems to slow down something there. At least for most companies.

Evtukhov gave an example: the cost of hot-rolled steel is about 45 thousand rubles per ton, while the market price reaches 72 thousand rubles . It is “impossible” to sell at such prices , the official said. Those intermediaries who refuse to reduce prices, according to Yevtukhov, may leave the market.

The official gave the companies until Monday (March 14) to present the pricing structure to the ministry, in other words, to disclose the cost of production. Whether the metallurgical business will obey this ultimatum, we will soon see.

Can we assume that in the face of heavy sanctions, the government is beginning to look towards the Soviet experience? If you take a closer look at Yevtukhov's quotes cited by the press, you can see that in the metallurgical industry, firstly, an obviously abnormal price premium prevails (60% for hot-rolled steel); secondly, the market is ugly inflated by intermediaries who perform only parasitic functions (pricing in exchange for simple logistics operations). In other words, as in many other branches of Russian industry, prices in metallurgy are extremely inflated by monopolists and speculators. The official of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is trying to limit the appetites of capital and artificially bring the situation to a "normal market" with high competition and a small rate of return. This is done, of course, not in the interests of the country, but in the interests of big business as a whole. In the face of harsh sanctions, the Russian economy was vulnerable; the old - corrupt, speculative - style of doing business becomes dangerous for the stability of the political regime. Therefore, the government, representing capital as a whole, tries in its interests to curb the greed of individual businessmen.

Of course, the fight against speculative price gouging is a progressive measure, even if the motives of the initiators are solely related to the preservation of power. However, whether the authorities will be able to cope with their own masters, who are accustomed to taking away and dividing for thirty years, is a very non-obvious question.

https://www.rotfront.su/minpromtorg-gro ... ovat-tsen/

Deputy Prime Minister Golikova gave instructions on how to save jobs
03/12/2022
Maintaining the unemployment rate will be a colossal success for the current government

Because of the sanctions imposed against Russia, foreign companies massively stop their activities in our country. As "recipes" for saving jobs, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova called "timely response" and "work ahead of the curve."


"In the countries of capitalism - the lack of rights of labor! In the countries of socialism - the right to work!"

“We must work proactively, assess the current situation on the labor market, respond in a timely manner in order to save jobs and support the employment of our citizens,” T. Golikova said at a meeting of the interdepartmental working group to respond to the situation on the labor market.

As of October-December 2021 , the unemployment rate in Russia was 3,242.8 thousand people. or 4.29% of the working-age population, which includes citizens aged 15 and above.

The senior official did not elaborate on what she meant by "preemptive measures." So far, we are aware of the government's intentions to nationalize companies that have ceased operations in Russia.

And earlier, Vladimir Putin , at a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko, “unexpectedly” remembered that the USSR not only produced galoshes:

“The Soviet Union, indeed, lived all the time under the conditions of sanctions, developed and achieved tremendous success.”

It is not clear, however, how the current market Russia will use the experience of a socialist state. Will the factory owners hand over power to the workers? Will the luxury goods of our wealthy compatriots be exchanged with "foreign partners" for advanced technologies and equipment? Or will all higher, secondary and secondary specialized education be made free of charge to provide the industry with qualified personnel? No, nothing like that will happen. But this is far from all that allowed the Soviet Union to achieve truly outstanding successes. And these measures do not work without each other.

We recommend that you watch the interview of Labor Front member Oleg Komolov , which he gave to the correspondent of the Free Press, Yevgenia Rodionova. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRz5Z0-nL4k&t=2s

https://www.rotfront.su/vitse-premer-go ... nstruktsi/

All above Google Translator

Unfortunately, for modern Russia, it will be a colossal achievement to keep the unemployment rate at the same level.

[blindpig]

Authorities unveil plan to combat food shortages
03/16/2022
liberal spells

The Minister of Economic Development of Russia Maxim Reshetnikov announced a plan to combat possible food shortages. Its main idea is flexible pricing, ie. abandonment of inflation control. According to some experts, in this way it is possible to preserve the range of products in stores. Thus, the candidate of economic sciences, Nikolai Kulbaka, said that price regulation is one of the quickest ways to destroy the economy.



As you can see, the authorities and some "experts" continue to voice liberal mantras about the dangers of price regulation, declaring that regulation will lead to the collapse of the economy and other disasters. However, as historical experience shows, in times of crisis, it is precisely the rationed supply and strict price regulation that help to keep the situation under control and prevent the collapse of the economy. On the contrary, blind reliance on market mechanisms and deregulation led to the collapse of the economy. So, during the First World War in Russia there was no rationed supply of the urban population, prices grew by leaps and bounds, despite the fact that food shortages could not be avoided - due to the transport and fuel crisis, the delivery of food to many parts of the country was difficult, and to In 1917, famine was already beginning in many cities, while that prices have risen several times since 1913. During the Great Patriotic War, cities introduced a rationed supply of food and manufactured goods to the population, so that the population could purchase a set of goods necessary for life using cards.

In the late USSR, problems with shortages of goods were also solved by introducing card distribution, which again made it possible to ensure guaranteed food consumption by all citizens of the country. The effectiveness of such a mechanism is evidenced by a comparison of the level of consumption of basic types of food in the USSR in 1990 and Russia in 2017 - when there were no cards. There is a significant drop in almost all types of food, except for meat, vegetables and vegetable oil, and for such essential products as fish, dairy products and eggs. And this situation is typical not only for 2017, but for almost the entire post-Soviet period. Moreover, consumption collapsed just after the abolition of card distribution and “filling the shelves”.


Food consumption per year per person, relative to 1990

In fact, the "plan" to combat possible food shortages is not such, since it does not eliminate the shortage itself, but only makes it hidden. Those. the action of the “invisible hand of the market”, beloved by liberals, leads to a significant increase in prices for goods, the purchasing power of the population falls, consumption also decreases, but the goods continue to lie on the shelves, and people go to stores like museums, only the role of “do not touch” signs here perform price tags. But even such false methods of struggle sometimes turn out to be ineffective and the necessary goods, despite high prices, are still not available in stores, which we are already seeing in the example of sugar. There is no sense for the working people from such "measures" to "fight" the deficit.

https://www.rotfront.su/vlasti-predstav ... by-s-defi/

Pension in March was less than in February
03/14/2022
The pension fund explained everything

Non-working pensioners in Russia began to receive March payments, the amount of which is lower than in February. The Pension Fund recalled the "Putin" indexation of February payments, so in March, pensioners will not count this extra charge. With inflation accelerating, pensioners again found themselves on the verge of survival.


Photo: TASS

The Pension Fund explained that initially the law on the federal budget of Russia assumed the indexation of pensions in 2022 by 5.9%. Therefore, in January, non-working pensioners received payments indexed exactly to this amount. However, inflation was 8.4%, and then Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed to further index the amount of payments. As a result, at the beginning of 2022, insurance pensions were increased by 5.9%, and for February, pensions were paid with an indexation of 8.6% plus an additional payment of 2.7% for January. Since March and throughout the year, pensions have been paid increased by 8.6%, Port Amur writes .

According to the Ministry of Labor, the average insurance pension is 18,984 rubles.

Against the backdrop of inflation reaching 30% for essential food and medicine, the size of the pension and its unfair, delayed indexation force pensioners to choose, for example, between medicine and utility bills, between food and clothing.

date of Official inflation in annual terms, % Pension indexation, %
November 2021 8.40 0.00
December 2021 8.39 0.00
January 2022 8.74 5.90
February 2022 9.16 8.60
March 2022 ~20.00 0.00
Comparison of inflation and pension indexation. Source: inflation-level.rf/inflation-tables

At the same time, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that the authorities will monitor price increases and pensions, noting that the Government pays special attention to pensioners.

According to experts , due to increased international sanctions and the subsequent reduction in GDP by 10%, official inflation in Russia, which, as a rule, is half the real one, can reach 20%. In any case, the price tags in stores are changing faster than payments to pensioners are indexed, so the current pension remains humiliating for those who honestly worked and went on a well-deserved rest.

https://www.rotfront.su/pensiya-v-marte ... -fevralsk/

Google Translator

[blindpig]

Something about the "progressiveness" of the ruling regime
03/18/2022

The world is watching with concern the extreme aggravation of relations between the Russian Federation and Western countries, primarily the United States and NATO members. The RKRP supported the recognition of the republics of Donbass and the suppression of fascism by the armed forces of Russia and the Donbass militias. In this regard, many of our foreign comrades are asking the question: is it possible to perceive Putin and the Russian Federation as an anti-imperialist force, protecting workers from rampant Nazis and fascists?


In response to such questions, the Press Center of the Central Committee of the RCWP is authorized to state: such a view is erroneous. The fact that the Russian authorities, protecting the interests of their imperialism, are doing a positive job of suppressing the fascist punishers in the Donbass and Ukraine, which is in the interests of the working people, does not make it progressive. The Russian Federation pursues an unambiguously reactionary domestic and foreign policy. Evidence of this is the massacre of the regime on January 6, 2022 over the participants of the picket in Moscow in support of the struggle of the workers of Kazakhstan.

A small peaceful picket (about 20-30 people) of left-wing forces near the Kazakh embassy with posters and slogans “Workers of Kazakhstan and Russia - together! Let's revive the USSR!”, “Rights are not given! They take the rights! was severely suppressed by the police. More than ten people were seized by these "guards of order" (bourgeois, hostile to people of labor "order") and taken away to the districts. They all drew up protocols on violation of the rules for holding public events, and all cases were referred to the court. Alexander Zimbovsky, a journalist and author of the newspapers Trudovaya Rossiya, Pravda, Sovetskaya Rossiya, and others, was the first to be sentenced to 15 days of arrest. On the rest, as a blueprint, without any consideration, various fines were imposed. On February 16 and 17, world courts sentenced members of the Central Committee of the Communist Workers' Party Natalya Glagoleva and Alexander Nikolaev to fines of 10 and 15 thousand rubles, respectively. Leading Sunday pickets at the monument to Marx Elmar Rustamov was fined 20 thousand rubles. I. Solovyov for holding a poster with words of solidarity with the Kazakh workers received the same - 20 thousand fines, and in order to pass such a sentence, the judge "conferred" for only two minutes. Larisa Anufriyeva from Trudovaya Rossiya could not come to court, but everything was the same - 10 thousand rubles a fine.

Such is bourgeois "democracy" in Russia, and such is "justice." So do not take Putin's words at face value, even if he rightly denounces the hypocritical policies of the United States, Nazi Ukraine and NATO countries, which the Russian president enrolled in the "empire of lies." He himself comes from the same empire and is exactly the same hypocrite. We all saw how, almost instantly, the Putin regime gave support to the bourgeoisie of Kazakhstan, which sensed the danger, which brought the people to the extreme degree of indignation. The Russian-controlled CSTO military organization deployed troops to the territory of Kazakhstan, which freed the hands of local law enforcement agencies to suppress popular uprisings.

And in Russia itself, peaceful participants in the pickets of solidarity with the working class of Kazakhstan were immediately subjected to repression. So far, the discontent of the common people is suppressed by fines, but there is no doubt that, if necessary, these gentlemen will also resort to bullets.

Press Center of the Central Committee of the RKWP

https://www.rotfront.su/koe-chto-nasche ... nosti-pra/

Google Translator

[blindpig]

Increased stock prices for automotive fuel
03/18/2022

The usual thing

Exchange prices for Regular-92 gasoline for the week from March 11 to March 18 increased by 17%, and for Premium-95 gasoline - by 20.7%. Summer diesel fuel has risen in price by 12% over the week, off-season - by 9%, and winter - by 7%.

Obviously, the increase in fuel prices is caused by several factors. First, the ongoing special military operation of the Russian Armed Forces requires a significant amount of fuel, increasing the demand for it from the state. Secondly, the sowing campaign is approaching, which means, again, an increase in demand for fuel. Thirdly, the fall of the ruble has made it even more profitable to export oil and oil products, leading to higher prices on the domestic market as well. Fourthly, fuels and lubricants rise in price along with other goods, the rise in prices for them is an integral part of general inflation.

Almost all of the above reasons mean that the market is once again aiming to take advantage of the current situation. An increase in the cost of fuel will naturally lead to an increase in general inflation in the country, which, of course, will hurt the workers. This clearly shows how big businessmen use any crisis, any difficult situation to consolidate their fortunes, to redistribute income in their favor, to rob and oppress the working people even more.

This situation is typical for a market economy. So, during the First World War, incomes decreased significantly in all the warring countries: for example, by the beginning of 1917 in Russia, prices increased by 3.36 times, despite the fact that the nominal wages of workers were only 2, which meant a decrease in wages by 1.68 times, despite the fact that industrialists, cashing in on workers, continued to accumulate fortunes. During the Great Depression in the United States, the use of gratuitous labor of the unemployed was widely practiced, who worked hard work in fact for food. The current situation in the economy will lead to similar consequences.

https://www.rotfront.su/vyrosli-birzhev ... vtomobiln/

Demand for sedatives has skyrocketed in Russia
03/19/2022

Crisis cripples people

With the start of the “special operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine,” sales of antidepressants in Russia quadrupled at once and exceeded 525 million rubles in just one week . Citizens buy sleeping pills 88% more than last year, and anti-anxiety drugs - 34.7% . Representatives of the Ministry of Health assure the population of the sufficiency of stocks of medicines.



The reason for such dynamics is not only the purchase of drugs for the future, but also a real jump in citizens' complaints about depression.

“The number of borderline states has increased - anxious, anxious-depressive, asthenic. The number of complaints of anxiety, anxiety-depressive state has increased, ” Vyacheslav Filashikhin , chief physician of the Rosa Center for Psychiatry, Neurology and Narcology, comments on the situation .

Is it worth explaining that the growth of the depressed state of our citizens is due to the extremely tense situation caused by the “hot” phase of the global economic crisis? People see food shortages and the rapid rewriting of price tags in stores, they lose their jobs, become poor , the “special operation” takes the lives of Russians and split society into supporters and opponents of the armed conflict, relatives on both sides of the border become implacable enemies, and on television political talk shows and reports from the battlefields are replaced by entertainment programs. The future is getting increasingly cloudy. It's getting harder and harder to stay sane.

And all this is a natural consequence of market relations, the struggle of the owners of factories, newspapers, ships for resources, cheap labor and markets. The thirst for enrichment of a few inevitably entails the tragedy of millions. Only organized working people can overcome this dependence by taking power into their own hands. Without this, the transition to an economic system protected from crises is impossible, it is impossible to build a society where man is a friend, comrade and brother to man, and not a competitor in the struggle for survival.

https://www.rotfront.su/v-rossii-rezko- ... -uspokoit/

All above Google Translator

[blindpig]

Empty shelves returned to Russia
03/20/2022
Officials recommend setting the rate of issue of goods in one hand

The forgotten word "deficit" is returning to Russia. Western sanctions have led to a rise in prices or even the disappearance of a number of goods. The prices even for office paper jumped up. And many businessmen take advantage of the moment, stir up the hype and, thanks to this, inflate prices. In this regard, granulated sugar disappears everywhere. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Nizhny Novgorod Region recommended selling no more than a kilogram of sand per person.


Empty shelves in a store in Tula

In the Tula region , as in many other regions, there is a jump in prices for office paper. Journalists report that A4 paper of well-known brands is now sold at a price of a thousand rubles per pack. For example, Ozon sells a pack of 500 sheets of SvetoCopy for 1999 rubles . The Chitay-gorod store sells the same paper for “only” 1,299 rubles, but it is no longer available. For comparison, earlier in stores you could buy a package of paper for 250-300 rubles .

Prices for office paper


Office paper in the store "Chitai-Gorod"

And the authorities of the Nizhny Novgorod region note the rush demand for granulated sugar. The Nizhny Novgorod branch of Rosstat reports that for the period March 10-17, sugar has risen in price by 17% , and demand for it has grown by 40% . Against the backdrop of empty shelves, the regional authorities agreed on additional supplies of 2,000 tons of sand from enterprises in the Penza region and the Krasnodar Territory. The regional department of the Federal Antimonopoly Service believes that “unscrupulous traders” had a hand in the hype , that is, simply put, ordinary entrepreneurs who do not miss the opportunity to extract additional profit from market conditions. Even the regional governor Gleb Nikitinacknowledged that granulated sugar has become the object of massive speculation.

The same picture is in the Tula region. Now there is practically nowhere to buy granulated sugar. At the same time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Tula Region announced that "stocks in stores are sufficient . " True, for sugar, these reserves are enough for only one day. And the journalists who walked around the shops noted, for example, that there were not even empty shelves left for sugar in the Spar and Lenta stores. This product has just been removed from the range.

The Antiskrepa Telegram channel has published a number of photos from different cities, where you can see either empty shelves or a small amount of granulated sugar at exorbitant prices.


One of the Lenta stores in St. Petersburg


One of Bill's stores in Moscow


Moscow, Shabolovka, shop "Vkusvill"

The centralized socialist economy of the Soviet Union could cope with the harsh sanctions of the West. For the market economy of modern Russia, sanctions can be fatal. It's only the beginning…

(To be honest, those shelves look a lot like those at the Food Lion in Roebuck SC which I shop at.)

https://www.rotfront.su/v-rossiyu-vernu ... tye-polki/

Impoverished residents of Bashkiria cry for help
03/21/2022

The authorities themselves are more busy with Donbass

Residents of Ufa appealed to the authorities because of the ongoing rise in food prices, the website news102.ru writes . The spontaneous increase in prices for some food products reaches 50%, there are interruptions in supplies, empty shelves appear in stores . At this time, the Head of Bashkiria writes from the Donbass: “Work, brothers!”


Residents of Donbass

The economic crisis continues to hit the most vulnerable segments of the population: pensioners, workers and students. Due to the curtailment of production, unemployment is growing. In the capital of Bashkiria, Ufa, local residents are calling on the authorities of the region to provide them with real assistance, noting the plight of people who “are counting pennies at the cash register.”

“The Ministry of Trade responds to all reports of price increases only with statistics confirming their increase. There is no real containment. Take care of the inhabitants of your native republic, ”- from the appeal of the inhabitants of Ufa.

At the same time, the authorities of the republic have already organized two humanitarian convoys to Donbass, in which, in addition to food, tons of building materials, personal hygiene products and medicines. Residents of Bashkiria demand that the government first of all pay attention to their plight, noting that the state has all the tools for this.

The Head of the Republic Radiy Khabirov himself left for Donetsk to receive humanitarian aid and develop cooperation with the Donetsk People's Republic. In addition, Khabirov surprised the subscribers of his Vkontakte page by posting the post “Work, brothers!” with his photograph surrounded by armed men. At the same time, Bashkiria said goodbye to two more soldiers who died during a special operation in Ukraine.

“There will be both a third and a fourth humanitarian convoys,” Radiy Khabirov

In fact, the government of the republic cannot in any way really influence the food market. Local authorities, as a rule, are deprived of political independence and limited in their powers. Therefore, instead of a substantive approach to combating poverty and the economic crisis, regional governments are working out a “patriotic agenda”.

https://www.rotfront.su/nishhayushhie-z ... ayut-o-po/

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[blindpig]

Speaker of the Federation Council demands not to check the business
03/22/2022
Complete lack of control of business is a danger to citizens

The ongoing inspections of small and medium-sized businesses outraged the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko , RIA Novosti reports . The high-ranking official recalled that the Government of the Russian Federation had decided to suspend any control, and called on the supervisory authorities "to be statesmen at a key moment for the country."



“Senators say that checks are continuing in a number of regions. Inspecting organizations, it turns out, are not going to allow small and medium-sized businesses to work quietly in some subjects. They were banned from scheduled inspections. So they increased the number of unscheduled. These are, as they said before, “signals from the field,” Valentina Ivanovna writes on her page in one of the social networks available today.

In her opinion, any inspection leads to a suspension of work and problems in resuming the normal rhythm of entrepreneurial activity.

“It is very clear that business checks should be frozen now. Any. The President ordered. The government has adopted the corresponding document. It turned out that not everyone understands, ”the speaker of the Federation Council is indignant.

Those who have encountered inspection bodies often get the impression that the point of control is not to ensure the safety and quality of products or services, but to justify the very existence of the supervisory body. The market, turning everything into a commodity, “did not forget” about supervisory functions. The more requirements and restrictions are introduced, the wider the “range of services provided”. And in this regard, reducing checks makes sense.

But why “at a key moment for the country” is it necessary to completely abandon control over compliance with labor protection, fire safety, ecology, sanitary and epidemiological requirements, from inspections of hazardous industrial facilities (cranes, pressure vessels, etc.)? Does all this really lose its importance at the “turning and important moment”?

Even in a favorable economic situation, many entrepreneurs were not seen in a burning desire to spend money on safety and environmental care , did not disdain the sale of expired or low- quality products. And here at the highest level they are promised complete lack of control.

Such an indulgence for entrepreneurs is likely to "go sideways" to ordinary citizens. Instead of demands to optimize supervision, the authorities simply abdicate any responsibility, let the protection of labor, nature and health of Russians from unscrupulous entrepreneurs take their course. This means that citizens themselves will have to pay more attention to their own safety. Joint actions will help them achieve the maximum effect in this matter.

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Russia gets more 'liberal' every day...

[blindpig]

Police officers of Yekaterinburg were forbidden to drive official foreign cars
03/23/2022



The leadership of the Yekaterinburg police forbade police officers to drive foreign-made official cars. The ban is related to the inability to maintain these cars in good condition due to the sanctions and the lack of spare parts caused by them. In other cities of the Sverdlovsk region, the police also limited the use of foreign cars, but in all cities of the region, except for Yekaterinburg, this measure is advisory. According to one of the traffic police officers, most of the cars in the police are Russian-made, but there are quite a lot of foreign cars.

Meanwhile, the problem with the lack of auto parts is much wider and concerns not only foreign cars, but also Russian cars. So, electronic control units (ECU) for injection and diesel engines are manufactured by Bosch, which already limits supplies to Russia. Of course, some of these blocks are produced directly in Russia, but no one prevents the company from stopping its factories in Russia. In addition, many firms limit or stop deliveries of microcircuits to the country, and imported elements are almost completely used in control units, even in those produced by Russian companies. Of course, the Russian industry will be able to master the microcircuits used in these blocks, it is within its power, however, it must be borne in mind that it will take several years to carry out the relevant development work and master production.

The current situation is typical for the entire Russian economy. Now, perhaps, you will not find an industry where problems would not start : there are no chemicals for whitening paper; packaging is missing everywhere; pharmaceutical companies already lack raw materials for the production of medicines, and so on - the list goes on. This state of the national economy was the result of the policy pursued in the last 30 years on the territory of Russia. Yegor Gaidar briefly expressed its essence: “Why do we need your machines (aircraft, microcircuits)? We will buy everything on the world market!” We are now witnessing the complete collapse of such a disastrous policy.

On the other hand, the USSR in the 30s, thanks to the industrialization carried out, managed to become a powerful industrial power, technologically independent of other countries. So when in 1939, after another aggressive provocation by the Finnish fascist military (the famous Mainil incident), the USSR was forced to launch a special operation, it was not frightened by the sanctions of the "international community". The result was the defeat of the Finnish army, and the Soviet state did not even feel international sanctions.

https://www.rotfront.su/politsejskim-ek ... zapretili/

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