Budget savings or a funding crisis: what is behind the agency's decision?
The Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation may suspend the centralized purchase of Russian office and antivirus software for federal executive authorities (FOIV) in 2024. A draft of the relevant government decree was published by the Ministry on the portal of draft regulatory legal acts, Interfax reports.
The document proposes to amend the government decree (No. 658), which since 2018 has granted the Ministry of Digital Development (office and antivirus software) and the Federal Treasury (software for budget accounting) the right to centrally purchase domestic software for federal authorities. According to the draft, until the end of 2024, it is proposed to suspend the provisions that give the Ministry of Digital Resources the authority to conduct such purchases.
The Ministry provides several arguments in support of this step. First, starting from January 1, 2023, federal authorities cannot independently purchase software licenses, as this is prohibited by Decree No. 658, and the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation cannot make purchases due to the lack of references to the source of funding in regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation. Previously, centralized software procurement was carried out within the framework of the national program "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation", and in 2019 the Ministry of Digital Development concluded state contracts for the supply of the necessary software in the amount of 1.03 billion rubles. Since 2021, the event on centralized software procurement for government agencies has been excluded from the national program.
"Stipulated by Federal Law No. 466-FZ" About the federal budget for 2023 and for the planning period of 2024 and 2025 "budget allocations for the implementation of the national program "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation" are distributed in full in accordance with its goals and objectives, there is no unallocated amount of funding, "the agency explains." In this regard, the implementation of the powers of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation provided for by Decree No. 658 in 2023-2025 will require additional budget allocations from the federal budget."
Secondly, many federal authorities have already switched to using Russian software, so in the future they can purchase it independently.
Third, centralized software procurement is inefficient, as it delays the process of transferring licenses to federal authorities and does not allow you to control the activation date and volume of license usage. This reduces the responsibility and motivation of federal authorities for timely use of licenses and reduces their useful life.
In addition, the Ministry of Digital Development notes that at present there is no need for a separate purchase of antivirus software, since the communication service "Automated Workplace of a Civil Servant" (CS AWP GS) has been created within the framework of the Gosoblako project.
In 2022, the Russian government has already temporarily suspended the centralized purchase of Russian office and antivirus software for federal authorities. And in 2021, the Ministry of Digital Development proposed to abandon this mechanism altogether, citing its negative consequences.
The Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation may suspend the centralized purchase of Russian office and antivirus software for federal executive authorities (FOIV) in 2024. A draft of the relevant government decree was published by the Ministry on the portal of draft regulatory legal acts, Interfax reports.
The document proposes to amend the government decree (No. 658), which since 2018 has granted the Ministry of Digital Development (office and antivirus software) and the Federal Treasury (software for budget accounting) the right to centrally purchase domestic software for federal authorities. According to the draft, until the end of 2024, it is proposed to suspend the provisions that give the Ministry of Digital Resources the authority to conduct such purchases.
The Ministry provides several arguments in support of this step. First, starting from January 1, 2023, federal authorities cannot independently purchase software licenses, as this is prohibited by Decree No. 658, and the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation cannot make purchases due to the lack of references to the source of funding in regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation. Previously, centralized software procurement was carried out within the framework of the national program "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation", and in 2019 the Ministry of Digital Development concluded state contracts for the supply of the necessary software in the amount of 1.03 billion rubles. Since 2021, the event on centralized software procurement for government agencies has been excluded from the national program.
"Stipulated by Federal Law No. 466-FZ" About the federal budget for 2023 and for the planning period of 2024 and 2025 "budget allocations for the implementation of the national program "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation" are distributed in full in accordance with its goals and objectives, there is no unallocated amount of funding, "the agency explains." In this regard, the implementation of the powers of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation provided for by Decree No. 658 in 2023-2025 will require additional budget allocations from the federal budget."
Secondly, many federal authorities have already switched to using Russian software, so in the future they can purchase it independently.
Third, centralized software procurement is inefficient, as it delays the process of transferring licenses to federal authorities and does not allow you to control the activation date and volume of license usage. This reduces the responsibility and motivation of federal authorities for timely use of licenses and reduces their useful life.
In addition, the Ministry of Digital Development notes that at present there is no need for a separate purchase of antivirus software, since the communication service "Automated Workplace of a Civil Servant" (CS AWP GS) has been created within the framework of the Gosoblako project.
In 2022, the Russian government has already temporarily suspended the centralized purchase of Russian office and antivirus software for federal authorities. And in 2021, the Ministry of Digital Development proposed to abandon this mechanism altogether, citing its negative consequences.
