Russia plans to equalize the cost of baby food
Prices for hot meals in schools and kindergartens in different regions of Russia should be reduced to single values. With such an initiative were made in the Federation Council.
Today, the cost of lunch for a child in an institution is from 4 to 155 rubles. The range is too large. In addition, it is not entirely clear how you can feed children for dinner at the cost of 4 rubles.
Senators proposed to adopt a single federal standard, which would imply a single lunch cost for a schoolchild and a preschooler in all regions of the country. At the state level, it would be possible to control that schools and kindergartens, as well as product suppliers, do not overestimate the established standard.
The draft law on nutrition for schoolchildren and preschool children is already ready, the Parliamentary Newspaper (the official media of the State Duma) announced that the draft law will be considered in the coming days.
The document was developed on the instructions of Valentina Matvienko. The law clearly states that the main selection criterion in the state procurement of baby food products will not be the price, as it was before, but the confirmed quality of the products. Previously, in the pursuit of cheapness, substandard and sometimes stale products were purchased. Numerous complaints from parents and children from various points of the country are clear evidence of this.
Federal standards will concern quality criteria. If the initiative of the senators is adopted, then the price of food will become one and regulated by the state.
The authors of the initiative stressed that no one is going to feed all young Russians for 4 rubles, as no one plans to raise the national bar to 155 rubles (as in Moscow or the Northern Capital). According to preliminary calculations the price of lunch in school or kindergarten should be about 60-70 rubles. This amount is optimal and fair so that the child can get all the necessary good quality.
Senators have already objected to the Ministry of Finance, where they believe that the measure will require additional public spending from the budget. The Government of Russia believes that the issues of baby food in school and preschool institutions are among the most important in social policy, and therefore they offer the Ministry of Finance not to skimp.
It is clear that this measure is ambiguous, because in regions where children still have lunch for 10-15 rubles, parents will object to raising to 60-70 rubles, but moms and dads, who are used to paying 150 rubles for a school lunch, will breathe out with relief. Therefore, now it is proposed to hold explanatory conversations with parents, and if someone else did not understand that it is impossible to eat and be full for 4 rubles, then it is necessary to convey it to everyone.
