Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Head of the Republic of Mordovia Nikolai Merkushkin
Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Mr Merkushkin, I am ready to hear from you. What is the current outlook in your republic? Incidentally, at the Government meeting yesterday, we discussed your preparations for the jubilee celebrations. Let's talk about this in more detail now. Please, go ahead.
Nikolai Merkushkin: Generally speaking, the situation (in Mordovia) is normal. This is, of course, not considering the fact that the crisis is affecting the scale of production, especially in our machine building - 92% of the sector is associated with car manufacturing. Transportation, instruments and equipment, microelectronics, and household electronics, particularly that part of the industry associated with car manufacturing, have gone down. True, in January and February the decline was twice steeper than today. Now it is approaching the level of 12-15%.
The food industry and agriculture are seeing an upsurge. We are increasing not only the production of milk, meat and eggs - the growth has reached 24% - but also the cow population with a view to the future.
In the first six months, housing construction has reached 108%, but the situation in the second half of the year will be more complicated. I do not expect a big drop in housing construction because we have launched the Young Family Programme, and our mortgage loan system is operating quite well. Mortgages will be practically at the same level as last year. Housing is relatively inexpensive - 25,000-26,000 roubles per square metre. This year, it may a bit... Last year, one square metre cost 25,700 roubles.
The companies dependent on federal and foreign supplies are being hit the hardest. The level of unemployment is 1.6%.
Vladimir Putin: Do you have a programme of countering unemployment?
Nikolai Merkushkin: Yes, we discussed it at our meeting with Alexander Zhukov last December and got the approval.
Vladimir Putin: How much money have you been given?
Nikolai Merkushkin: We have been given 340 million roubles for all four directions of work but we have used only 20% of this sum so far. We have spent most of it on public works - over 90,000 people have been attracted for public works. I must say that this has been very useful, particularly during the summer. We are developing urban amenities, planting trees and shrubs, and expanding our parks. People are getting paid, and we are also resolving some of our concrete problems at the same time.
Allocations for retraining have been reduced, but we are proceeding with it as well. Today, 1,200 people are being retrained to receive a new profession but I don't think we will spend the whole sum. We will see what happens in autumn and winter.
Vladimir Putin: What about the harvesting in the countryside? How is it progressing?
Nikolai Merkushkin: The situation in the country remains normal. We have begun harvesting. Right now we are taking in 3,100 kilograms of grain per hectare. Last year, the relevant figure was 300 kilograms less. So, we are ahead so far. If the weather permits - for the time being, the conditions for harvesting are not very good because of heavy rains - we must be able to take in no less grain than last year. We are working more effectively with fertilizer and get better results. Throughout the best years in the Soviet Union, we received 1,700 kilograms, while the average was 1,300-1,400 kilos. Last year, we made 2,900 kilograms, and now we are reaping 3,100 kilograms of grain per hectare.
Vladimir Putin: This is fairly good.
