Moscow is once again taking a hard look at its finances during this period of prolonged economic woe, this time considering privatizing of some of Russia's large state-owned firms and entities. Such a plan could raise $12.5 billion, helping cover a possible shortfall of around $37.5 billion in the federal budget. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, who has long criticized the government's control of the country's largest companies, is spearheading the proposal. Siluanov has been blocked for years by many of the Kremlin elite who want to maintain control over their respective assets and companies. But as Russia's recession has deepened, Moscow has grown more willing to embrace some of Siluanov's economic suggestions. In recent weeks, he pushed through a mandatory 10 percent cut in the Russian budget across all sectors, excluding pensions, further tightening an already strained spending plan.