The National Program – The Digital Economy of the Russian Federation: Considerations on the implementation and finance in the innovative development of Russia
Subject. The innovative economy cannot evolve if its digital component stalls. For this, the National Program – The Digital Economy of the Russian Federation has been started. It includes six interim projects aimed to create the digital infrastructure, information security, digital technologies, etc. Consequently, there should be a ubiquitous accessibility of the Internet both for households and social infrastructure facilities. The result should be assessed by a growth in internal expenditures on the digital economy development up to 5.1 percent of GDP. Objectives. We study the finance of the National Program – The Digital Economy of the Russian Federation, detect challenging aspects and prospects of its development. Methods. We rely upon methods of the bibliographic analysis of the current trends in the finance and cost effectiveness of national projects. The study is also based on scientific summaries, analysis, synthesis, comparative analysis and grouping. Results. The article spotlights issues and weaknesses of the finance of the National Program – The Digital Economy of the Russian Federation, show the mix of sources. We evaluate the trade-off between project activities and target indicators of the program, State aid measures. The article enlists issues and risks of the program, which are associated with operators. Conclusions and Relevance. The national program is definitely important for the development of the innovative digital economy in Russia. However, it is necessary to adjust target indicators of the program. Otherwise, it is doubtful whether the performance of the program is fairly evaluated. It is crucial to substantiate funds allocated to conduct organizational actions and coordinate projects, hold bidding. The conclusions can be used by authorities to implement the governmental policy, evaluate the efficiency of its enforcement, and assess risks.