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
"As you know, the state has substantively expanded diamond purchases to support the industry. It has been decided to quadruple the funding being allocated for buying precious stones for the state treasury: this amount has grown from 3.7 billion roubles to 14.5 billion roubles. But I think even that is not enough. We understand that an industry that provided serious revenues both for the federal and the regional budget is in a difficult situation due to the global economic conditions and needs to be supported. I just had a discussion with mine workers and I would like to repeat here what I told them -that in total state support for the industry this year must amount to 30 to 35 billion roubles."
"In the current year, the Housing and Utilities Reform Fund has allocated more than one billion roubles for Yakutia - a substantial amount. These funds should be used to the utmost effect to solve the main problem for which the Fund was set up, namely to provide residents of dilapidated and unsafe buildings with new housing. Unfortunately, there is a great need for that in Yakutia."
"We have a programme for the development of the Far East and the Trans-Baikal region. Let us see how the work is proceeding here, in Yakutia.<...> A number of additional decisions have been adopted on the area's all-round development. We have launched and continue implementing a federal targeted programme on the Far East and the Trans-Baikal region, which provides for a substantive renovation and expansion of Yakutia's infrastructure: construction of new bridges, airports, railways and highways."
"The Eastern Gas Programme is also off to a good start. Its priorities are to pipe gas to the regions. The republic's head has just reported gas demand for Lensk is fully satisfied. At any rate, efforts have been made to reach the programme's targets. Next in line are Mirny and other towns and cities.<...> We are already seeing positive results. Yakutia's regional gross product has increased more than one-third between 2003 and 2008, while investment in fixed capital has grown 50%."
“The practice of allocating subsidies to balance regional budgets will be preserved. The subsidies will be diminished somewhat, but the practice will be preserved. Incidentally, we in Government have already decided to allocate additional subsidies of 70 billion roubles to 29 regions of the Russian Federation and on Saturday I signed a Government decree to the effect.”
“One of the Government's unquestioned priorities in the sphere of relations between budgets of different levels is financial support of delegated federal powers. The largest of them are spending on housing and utilities discounts for veterans and disabled persons and the exercise of powers in the sphere of employment. Subvention for housing and utilities rates in 2010 will amount to 102 billion roubles. Federal budget spending on employment will increase from 77.5 billion roubles in 2009 to 88.7 billion roubles in 2010.”
“We will continue the practice of granting the regions three-year budget loans at very low interest rates. Of course, this will be done above all for regions with low budget revenues.”
“It needs to be borne in mind that the crisis has affected different regions to different degrees. The hardest hit are the regions whose industries were oriented towards external markets. It is therefore necessary to take another hard look at the method of distributing subsidies and equalizing the budget sufficiency levels with due account of the changes that have taken place in the regional tax potential. I would like to stress that the overall size of the fund for financial support of the regions will not be cut.”
“Next year more than 1 trillion roubles will be allocated to support the regions. That is a hefty sum which, in our opinion, will cover the priority needs of the Russian regions.”
“Our decisions regarding the transport tax, indexation of alcohol, beer, and oil excises, and state duties will strengthen the regional revenue base. According to a Finance Ministry estimate, these measures will bring an extra 96 billion roubles to the consolidated budgets in 2010.”
