A surplus budget is ... Definition, the reasons for the occurrence. What is a surplus?

It is believed that the surplus budget is good for the state. So or this? To answer this question, you need to know the definition. So, what is a surplus? Further we will talk about this.

What is a surplus?

Let's start with the definition. A surplus budget is a positive balance of the balance. In other words, revenues exceed expenditures. There is also the concept of "primary" surplus and "secondary". Almost all states have a duty. As a rule, these are obligations under federal loan bonds. The "primary" surplus budget is an indicator without taking into account the cost of servicing the public debt. For example, after all expenditures on obligations in the budget, about 1 trillion dollars remained. Payments on obligations of federal loan bonds - 0.1 trillion dollars. Consequently, 0.9 trillion is a "secondary" surplus. We will give him a definition.

The "secondary" surplus budget is the balance of funds after deducting all government obligations. Significant indicators are relations to GDP. Gross domestic product is a macroeconomic indicator that shows the level of production in the country. Without it, there is no point in analyzing the surplus. For example, about 1 billion dollars remained in the budget. How to determine - is this a lot or a little? For this, it is necessary to compare it with GDP as a percentage. For example, for the year the GDP was 1 trillion dollars. The surplus in this case will be equal to 0.1%.

Types of budgets

What is a surplus, scarce, balanced budget? Consider the species. Roughly the budgets are divided into three types:

1. The surplus - we already gave him a definition. Incomes exceed expenses.
2. Balanced - income and expenses are equal.
3. Deficient - expenses exceed revenues.

We hope that this is understandable. Knowing the essence of these concepts, you can answer, which budget is better: scarce or surplus? At first glance it seems that the second. We agree that it is better when the money remains than when they are not enough. But is this so in relation to the state budget? We will analyze further.

Is surplus a plus?

You can not think that extra money in the budget is good. In fact, this is not so. It is better for the economy, when the state budget has a small deficit, but finds borrowed money to cover it, than a huge surplus. Why is that?

The fact is that the economy needs free funds, money. It is impossible to grow without investment. When money settles in the budget, and even more so in various accumulation funds, this is not a pragmatic policy, since money does not go to development. This is equivalent to the fact that a person put a million under a pillow instead of investing it in a profitable business and receiving twice as many more each year.

It was the accumulative policy of the former Minister of Finance Kudrin that formed several reserve funds in Russia. Of course, the media claim that this is good. When there were super-profits from the high price of hydrocarbons, we were able to accumulate a pod that was used in the crisis.

However, many economists do not think so. They argue that instead of saving money in funds, they could be invested in various projects. This would allow to diversify the economy and get off the "oil needle". Sam ex-minister Kudrin expressed quite unequivocally on this issue. He believed that money would simply be stolen and as a result there would be nothing. Therefore, it is better to save them than to distribute them in the pockets of officials.

Where do the surplus come from? Let us examine the reasons for the emergence of a surplus state budget.

Causes

The nature of the emergence of super profits is simple: our country depends on the export of raw materials. They make up about half of state revenues. In Russia, expenses are planned, based on today's oil prices. As of the beginning of 2017, about $ 50 per barrel of black gold on world markets. The government pawns this price for the future, knowing volumes of extraction and sale. If the export volumes remain the same, and the price in world markets jumps sharply, say, to $ 100 per barrel, our country will get a huge surplus. It is not accidental that the most important indicators in relation to GDP were oil exporting countries: Kuwait (22.7% in 2010), Norway (10.5% in 2010).

The most balanced budget is observed in developed countries, whose income does not depend on the export of raw materials: Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark.

Structure of income and expenses

The total budget revenues are divided into two categories:

1. Tax.
2. Non-tax.

Taxes are divided into:

• Profit tax;
• On property;
• government duty;
• Excise duty;
• Taxes on total income ;
• On goods and services sold on the territory of the country.

Non-tax revenues:

• From foreign economic activity;
• Profit within the framework of public-private partnership;
• Payments using natural resources;
• Penalties, sanctions;
• Income from the provision of various services;
• Confiscation of property;
• Return of unclaimed subsidies, etc.

In addition to the above income items, a surplus can create various gratuitous proceeds from people, other states, supranational entities, and public organizations.

Expenses of the state go to:

• Defense, security, law enforcement, including the judiciary;
• Education and science;
• Medicine;
• Housing and utilities;
• Innovative activity;
• Protection of the environment;
• Culture and sport;
• MASS MEDIA;
• Social sphere;
• Interstate transfers.

conclusions

So, the surplus budget is the balance of the surplus. Do not think that this is good for the country. All available means should be directed to the development of the economy. In our country this is most relevant, since there are two serious problems:

1. High corruption.
2. Dependence on the export of hydrocarbons.

High oil prices on world markets lead to a budget surplus. However, investing this money in diversification is extremely inefficient due to high corruption. Low energy prices lead to a budget deficit. This negatively affects the employees of the budgetary sphere, pensioners, unprotected strata of the population. We hope that this vicious circle in our country will ever open.