'Apology' on Russian minister's Facebook page goes viral

  

"I am sorry in front of everyone for the stupid things we do and for not being true to our word," read the apology on the page of the minister, Sergei Belyakov. 

The unusual expression of regret -- later deleted from the page -- was called a "personal opinion" of Belyakov, who has served as deputy economy minister since August 2012.

  

Russian media quoted Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev spokeswoman, Natalia Timakova, telling Belyakov that he should resign if he found his work so shameful. Belyakov's page said he was "ashamed" of a "harmful" decision extending a measure introduced last year that diverts money from private pension funds to tackle other needs in the economy.

  

The move has been broadly criticised as a means of plugging budget holes at the expense of future retirees. President Vladimir Putin has denied that the money was being confiscated and promised its return once the private funds are vetted by the Central Bank. 

  

But Finance Minister Anton Siluanov later said the money was used up for crisis measures and for developing the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed earlier this year.

  

Belyakov's Facebook post also suggested divisions within the government over how to react to a contracting economy made worse by Western sanctions over Ukraine, and adherence to Putin's economic promises. Russia has attempted to reform its cumbersome Soviet-era pension system for years, eventually adopting a system whereby employers paid a levy which was split between the State Pension Fund and private funds picked by employees or their representatives.

  

The government this week however indicated the system was not working, with Labour Minister Maxim Topilin saying Monday that the private funds were ineffective and likely to misuse people's money.