In September, Surgut authorities cut city spending by 2.69 billion rubles from its March peak, bringing it down to 57.46 billion rubles. The budget amendments reduced revenues and funding for capital projects at the same time; road construction plans were revised particularly sharply. The cuts are intended to keep the budget balanced and meet social obligations, although the planned deficit stands at 4.6 billion rubles.
The Budget After the September Revision
Compared with the original budget adopted last December, spending is down by 674.7 million rubles. The revenue forecast was also revised downward: it now stands at 52.8 billion rubles, 2.13 billion below the March estimate and 1.5 billion below the original figure.
The deficit has fallen by 559.4 million rubles from its March peak, but it still exceeds the initial figure by 825.8 million and stands at 4.6 billion rubles. The city covers the gap between revenue and spending with cash reserves; the material provided says these funds are almost exhausted.
Lower Own-Source Revenue
Surgut’s own-source revenue in the September version of the budget was cut from 23.6 billion to 22.86 billion rubles. The main source of revenue, personal income tax, is now projected at 16.4 billion rubles, 568.1 million below the previous forecast. The reasons cited include lower revenue from taxes on dividends from preferred shares in Surgutneftegas, reduced collections from foreign citizens, and slower growth in the wage bill.
The budget calculations assume actual wage growth of 3.9%, rather than the expected 7.2%. The forecast for tax revenue under the simplified taxation system was also reduced, from 3.57 billion to 3.40 billion rubles—a decrease of 177.3 million. The material links this in part to the high key interest rate and amendments to the Tax Code that introduced a VAT payment requirement for taxpayers using the simplified taxation system.
Regional Transfers and Investment
Grants from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, which had risen to 31.33 billion rubles in March, fell to 29.9 billion in September. That is 1.39 billion rubles below the spring forecast, while the final amount is 754.9 million below the original December plan. Most of the revision affected subsidies for capital investment, which fell from 7.33 billion rubles in the spring to 6 billion in the fall.
The source links the subsidy cuts to a rule that funds are allocated based on actual cash spending. Possible reasons for underspending include protracted tenders, higher construction-material costs, and delays in contractors starting work on site. The total budget for the Targeted Investment Program fell from 5.52 billion to 4.34 billion rubles; projects with low cash spending or protracted design work were removed from the plans.
Roads: Repairs Protected, Construction Cut
The municipal road fund was reduced from 7.99 billion rubles in March to 6.98 billion. However, routine road repairs and maintenance were left at the baseline level of 1.57 billion rubles. Construction of local roads was revised more sharply: funding fell from 2.1 billion to 1.3 billion rubles, including a 791.4 million cut to the regional share and a 46.9 million cut to the city’s share.
The biggest change affected the second phase of the Eastern Bypass Road, including the exit onto Nizhnevartovskoye Highway: funding for the current phase was reduced from 1.20 billion to 74.8 million rubles. Regional co-funding for this phase was cut to zero, while the city’s share fell from 121.9 million to 74.8 million rubles. Funding for 2027 changed little, standing at 1.15 billion rubles; regional allocations for 2028 rose from 815.9 million to 1.59 billion.
What the Cuts Mean for the City
The September revision shifts the budget’s priorities: routine road maintenance spending has been preserved, while a number of construction and investment plans have been postponed or scaled back. Funding for Mostostroitelnaya Street, for example, was reduced from 60.6 million rubles to 3.6 thousand rubles. These changes show that the revision affects not only total spending but also the timelines for individual projects.
The city’s main financial challenge is the combination of a 52.8 billion ruble revenue forecast, spending of 57.46 billion, and nearly exhausted cash reserves. Cutting capital investment eases pressure on the budget, but also pushes projects back. The figures presented reflect the September amendments, not the final outcome of budget execution.
Bottom line: Surgut cut spending by 2.69 billion rubles, preserving funding for routine road repairs while substantially revising its capital projects.
Sources
- sovetskiyugra.bezformata.com — “Kukharuk Comments on Spending Cuts”
- ura.news — “Officials Talking About ‘Doshirak’? Trouble Ahead”
- sitv.ru — “Russian Budget — Surgut News”
- sitv.ru — “Living Within Our Means: The Budgets of Surgut and the District”
- dp.ru — “Smolny Announces Plans to Reduce the Deficit”
