Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Valentina Matviyenko: I would like to report to you on the social and economic situation in the city.
Last year we registered a high rate of economic growth. We increased the gross regional product by 14% and industrial output by 10%. That is a very high bar. Foreign investments reached almost $6.5 billion, a record level, and investments in basic assets have reached about 300 billion roubles.
People's incomes have grown. We have built a very large amount of new housing. What is particularly heartening is that from the results of the first six months we have sustained a very high rate of development.
I believe that the results of economic development this year will be as good, although they will be more difficult to achieve because we will be starting from a higher base. But in spite of the fact that we have problems - you are aware that we have problems in the financial and other spheres - the economy is growing at a steady pace. As of July 1 the average wage is 20,000 roubles. That is not a very large figure for St Petersburg, but the growth is considerable.
This year we are planning to build 2.75 million square metres of new housing and by 2011 the target is 3 million square metres. That is the maximum the city can build.
Vladimir Putin: What was last year's figure?
Valentina Matviyenko: 2.6 million. We intend to add about 150,000 this year. Most importantly, last year for the first time we built 180,000 square metres of housing financed out the city's budget. This year we hope to make it 500,000 square metres. Why is it important that we finance it out of the budget? Because government-financed housing is costs less than half the price of private housing. This is the housing built under the housing programme we have approved. We are improving the housing conditions for veterans, survivors of the Leningrad siege, those who are on the waiting list and families with many children. In this way we are reducing the waiting list and solving acute social problems. So, everything is going well in that department.
We are paying great attention to road building. The transport situation in the city is deteriorating because the number of cars is growing and there are more traffic jams. Without building roads and new interchanges, new traffic schemes, without public transport the situation will of course worsen.
Last year we repaired 90 streets. In total, we brought 74% of all the city's roads up to standard last year. By 2011 we will repair 100% of the roads. Thereafter we will carry out only routine road maintenance work. We have repaired such key roads as the Moskovsky Prospekt and Ligovsky Prospekt. We are currently repairing the Nevsky Prospekt. The time has come to build a good modern motorway.
Many interchanges and bridges are under repair and under construction. Last year we finished the Blagoveshchensky Bridge, formerly known as the Lileutenant Schmidt Bridge. It was in a bad state of disrepair. We restored it to its historical shape, widened it, removed the tram tracks and improved the situation in this way. We have an ambitious road programme for this year.
I would like to express sincere thanks for your support of the Ring Road project. If you had not backed us then and if all the approvals had not been obtained the city would simply have choked.
This year we'll complete the eastern half of the Ring Road up to the Rossiya motorway. It will be completely finished. We originally built a two-lane road, and it was no good. Now the Eastern half will have four lanes, with the exception of two small stretches. This year we will reach Narva, that is the first part of the western half of the road. By 2010 we will reach Brunki and Brunki-Gorskaya. The original deadline was 2012, but you have supported our petition and it has been agreed with the Transport Ministry to complete the entire Ring Road by 2010. The longer we delay it, the more expensive it becomes. All the approvals have been obtained and the amount of funding has been determined. It is a challenge, but I think we will meet it. Acting on your instructions, the Transport Ministry and other agencies are being very helpful. That is very important for the city.
In addition, this year we will inaugurate the first section of the Western High-Speed Diameter. It will reach the Ring Road. That is the first section that will enable us to remove all the trucks from the two-port areas. Because we are desperate: all the cargo vehicles are parked in the Kirovsky and Krasnoselsky Districts, and local residents have been complaining. With the inauguration of the first section of the Western High-Speed Diameter we will move all cargo from the two port areas to the Western High-Speed Diameter and the Ring Road and thus out of the city. That is very important.
I would like to express sincere thanks to you for enabling us to complete a construction project that had been dragging on for thirty years. We will complete the building of protective dams before December. Then we will consider the city to be fully protected against floods.
Vladimir Putin: Will you do it by the end of the year?
Valentina Matviyenko: We will finish it by the end of the year. In fact, I would like to invite you, tentatively on October 10, but we can do it at any time convenient to you. The first gate for vessels will be inaugurated and navigation will begin. The tunnel has been built. It remains to do the exit from the tunnel. A tunnel is a massive structure. You have to see it. Next we can start building the exit from the tunnel and complete the Ring Road on top of the dam.
If you manage to attend the event - because this is a project that you have constantly supervised - you will see that it will be a grand event. Now ships will go through the navigable canal. Large ships will go through the Canal No 1. Navigable Canal No.2 is already in operation. It will handle small ships. So, the dam will be fully functional by December.
But I would like to ask you and I have prepared a request to the effect, to designate the organizations that will operate the dam. It is a federal project. The dam has to be commissioned and must go into operation next year and it is necessary to determine the amount of funding. We have presented our estimate. I will send a request to you so that you could issue instructions and the commissioning of the dam could start. Also, on September 10 we are introducing the first unit of the marine passenger terminal on Vasilyevsky Island.
Vladimir Putin: Has anything been built there already?
Valentina Matviyenko: Yes, the first section has already been built. The first cruise ship will moor around September 10. This is the first and only sea passenger terminal in Russia. The passenger traffic in St Petersburg is enormous. We could not handle such a large number of cruise ships because we had nowhere to receive them. From September we will be practically ready to receive cruise ships in the first part of the passenger terminal. If you could see it too we would be very pleased.
Vladimir Putin: We will see it together with the dam.
Valentina Matviyenko: Naturally, we will build the second part of the terminal, but we will be able to receive cruise ships beginning from September.
Today we opened the tender envelopes for the reconstruction of the Pulkovo Airport. There are nine bidders. That is very good. All the leading airports of the world, major companies, both domestic, which is heartening, and foreign. We will review the first qualification stage on the 11th. I think all or almost all of these companies will be allowed to take part in the second stage of the tender. At the second stage they will make their offers. A tender review commission will determine the best bids. Before the end of the year we will have the results and name the consortium which will build the new Pulkovo Airport.
In my opinion, all the companies are very powerful and interesting.
Vladimir Putin: Very good. Thank you.