VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
"We will also consider amendments to the 2009 federal budget. It has been proposed that state guarantees be affirmed at 300 billion roubles for loans taken by defence and other strategic companies. Another 150 billion roubles will be allocated for supporting the labour market and the manufacturing industries."
"Today we will consider the report on budget execution within the first nine months of 2008. I would like to underscore that financing of priority budget items was boosted, which is good news. For example, education expenses have totaled 198.6 billion roubles, compared with 174 billion within the same period of the last year. We have allotted 155 billion roubles to the development of healthcare and sports, which is almost 50 billion more than in 2007. Financial aid to Russia's Regions was boosted as well. Interbudgetary transfers have grown 177 billion roubles, amounting to 740 billion roubles."
"To make strategic plans, investors and local governments should be aware of the Investment Fund's possibilities as well as their own abilities. This means that we need a long-term forecast for replenishing the Fund with money."
"Obviously, one of the major anti-recessionary tools is federal budget funds. We must effectively allocate them to back solvent demand in the economy, and to ensure unqualified fulfillment of social liabilities, including timely payment of state-paid employees' wages, pensions, and benefits."
"No doubt, considerable budget funds will be needed to support the financial sector and industries. The amount should be commensurate with the scale of the problems that arise. Half-measures will not accomplish our goals. However, there are budget limitations that cannot be ignored. For this reason, the effectiveness of this budget spending - both current and additional - is vital".
"In the last few years, much money was spent on the repair of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres. Initially, this funding was supposed to be reduced, but we decided to preserve it. Starting in 2009, we will finance many cultural monuments, primarily, those on a special list, and not only in Moscow and St Petersburg but also in the rest of Russia."
"We must study everything that concerns the preparation for the Beijing Olympics. Our Chinese partners' best practices are to be meticulously analyzed and taken into consideration. It is also important to follow organisational nuances when observing the preparing for the Vancouver and London Olympics".
"I would like to note that the 2008 budget is being executed smoothly and according to the planned schedule. The budget surplus amounted to 1.4 trillion roubles in the first six months, while the Reserve Fund assets reached 3.1 trillion roubles and the National Welfare Fund amounted to 770 billion roubles. This shows that our budget system has reached a considerable financial safety margin, which makes for minimising the negative impact of the instability of the world financial markets and fluctuation of raw materials prices".
"These decisions should not make us forget about our current work. If we do make these decisions this year and start implementing them next year we will have to ensure the indexation of pensions at the beginning of the year and in the second half of the year. If we make these decisions in the second half of the year the rise will be already considerable and we should make sure that the Pension Fund has the money. You have to be in contact with the Finance Ministry and other agencies to ensure that nothing misfires".
"The increase in wages for public sector employees in the regions should be coordinated with our plans to increase the labour compensation fund for the budget-paid employment sector. On December 1, federal employees will get a 30% increase in wages, and all of this has to be coordinated".
