Higher wages for local bureaucrats
In spite of the financial crisis, several local bureaucrats and officials in Murmansk Oblast had pay rises in 2009.
According to Murmansk Regional Ministry for Finances, even in municipalities receiving more than 70 percent of their budget income from the regional budget, the local officials and delegates received a five percent pay rise in 2009, web site Murman.ru reports.
Also in municipalities receiving between 30 and 70 percent of their budget income from the regional budget, local officials’ paychecks got bigger. In the border towns Nikel and Zapolyarny the pay rise was 7.5 percent.
In August 2009, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin criticized the country’s governors for spending too much and urged them to avoid increased expenses on regional government. As BarentsObserver reported, Mr. Putin mentioned Murmansk Oblast as one of the regions with an unacceptable rise in administration expenses.
