Evgeniy Goryunov, Head of Monetary Policy Department at the Gaidar Institute, commented to RBC on the initiative of the Ministry of Finances to increase the VAT rate from 20 to 22% as from 2026. He believes that in the long term this decision could help to reduce budget deficit, which, therefore, will have a disinflationary effect on the economy.
"In the more distant future, growth in VAT will help to reduce the budget deficit, and this is precisely the disinflationary factor," the expert stated.