OREANDA-NEWS. The Russian government aims to reduce the poverty rate in the country to 6.6% by 2030, but if the existing conditions are maintained, this goal "remains unattainable," according to the World Bank (WB). This goal is unlikely to be achieved without reforming the system of assistance to the poor, or at least without a significant acceleration of economic growth, Apurva Sangi, the World Bank's chief economist for Russia, told reporters.

The current Russian system of social assistance is expensive, but not effective enough, according to the next (semi-annual) report of the World Bank on the Russian economy, presented on May 26. In particular, it states that assistance to the poor is not a priority for the Russian state, judging by the fact that the poor population before the pandemic received only 10% of payments in the framework of all social assistance. The Institute has proposed a new national program to combat poverty in Russia, which will be more economical and more effective.

"Many of the World Bank's proposals are already being implemented in practice. In particular, the expansion of the contingent of recipients of assistance, the introduction of a comprehensive assessment of need, the differentiation of payments for individual support measures, the establishment of uniform rules for providing support, " the press service of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection told RBC. When asked whether the World Bank discussed its ideas with the Russian authorities, the representative of the international institute told reporters: "Everything that can be made public, we publish. Let our private communications remain private."