Theoretical and methodological foundations of financial support for the development strategies of territorial communities

Abstract

Subject. The article considers theoretical and methodological substantiation of using an analogue of the system of national accounts at the territorial level as the main tool to explore financial capabilities of territories for achieving the strategic planning goals. Objectives. We focus on highlighting the main advantages of the system of territorial accounts in the strategic planning system, underpinning the configuration of building financial balances of territories from the two-level system of balances (region – municipalities) to the use of a limited set of institutional sectors. Methods. The study rests on methodological principles of international system of national accounts, which serves as a standard for statistical analysis worldwide. Results. The paper shows the necessity and advantages of building a system of territorial accounts, especially in the context of strategic planning documents development, to define financial opportunities for development of territories, including remote ones. It discloses the methodology of building a system of national accounts based on the relationship of indicators of institutional sectors of the economy, highlights specifics of account formation of ‘corporations’, ‘public administration’, ‘households’ sectors, and identifies sources of official information for calculating the necessary indicators. Conclusions. The findings enable to identify outflows or inflows of financial resources at the regional and municipal level, to measure and evaluate the volume of production, income distribution, and formation of added value, contributing to improved management of financial resources and ensuring the stability of economic growth. This is especially relevant for determining strategic directions for Russia’s remote territories development, as low competitiveness of traditional industries, caused by natural and climatic characteristics of the territories, leads to dependence on external financial resources.