The Russian public finance system is preparing for a large-scale restructuring: digital ruble is planned to be integrated into the budget process. This was reported by member of the National Financial Council of the Bank of Russia, State Duma deputy Sergei Gavrilov. According to him, the bill introduced by the government is aimed at using the digital ruble, in particular, for payments to public sector employees.
The first phase of implementation, scheduled for October 2025, will be limited in nature. Digital ruble will be applied only to those expenses that the government approves jointly with the Central Bank. The experiment will begin with standard and recurring transactions, where it is easy to track their volume, chronology and results. Gavrilov gave examples of such transactions: payments to suppliers under government contracts, purchases of medicines or transfers of funds to federal institutions for current needs.
At the initial stage, the deputy believes that budget sector employees will not notice significant changes. However, starting in January 2026, it is planned to lift restrictions on the list of permissible expenses. This means that digital ruble can be used for payments to individuals, including public sector employees.
Sergey Gavrilov clarified that the current text of the bill does not directly mention payments to public sector employees in the digital ruble. However, the possibility of using it without restrictions on types of expenses from January 1, 2026, implies such a prospect.
The transition to payments in the digital ruble will require careful development of technological and organizational mechanisms. The deputy emphasized the need to determine in advance:
- How exactly will the funds be credited?
- How will access to the digital ruble account be ensured?
- Will it be possible to freely transfer digital rubles into conventional forms of money?
- Where exactly they can be used without restrictions.
The mechanisms for accessing the digital ruble account (for example, through a mobile application or government services portal) and the exact rules for its use (including conversion) are not yet described in the bill and will be defined in future by-laws.
The success of the transition to a digital settlement model, according to Gavrilov, will depend on the readiness of budgetary institutions, the availability of the necessary software and timely regulatory instructions from the Treasury and the Bank of Russia.
