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
“I believe the performance of regional and local government agencies should be assessed using indices such as investment, tax revenue, and job creation. And decisions on the co-funding of regional development projects should be made based on that kind of assessment.”
“Our main task is to create jobs in the North Caucasus. Small and medium companies can and must play a big role in this effort. The traditions of entrepreneurship and the ambition to start one's own business are very strong in the North Caucasus. If implemented properly, this potential will certainly yield tangible results.”
“In order to turn around the situation in the economy of the North Caucasus and to change people’s lives for the better, we need to strengthen the real sector of the economy and provide favourable terms for investors. Such points of growth should include investment projects, and we will focus particular attention on supporting them.”
“I'm convinced all our projects in the North Caucasus must be measured primarily by the new jobs they create, and this means that we must form a modern and effective employment structure and increase the demand for qualified labour and business initiatives. Regional employment programmes have been effective. <…> Therefore, next year we will continue implementing programmes to reduce tensions in the labour market and we will introduce a new direction – certification of the professional skills of job seekers.”
“Please note that Sochi is receiving an unprecedented amount of federal funds, not exclusively through the Olympic construction programme. We haven’t cancelled subsidies that have been allocated to Sochi in previous years, before it was announced that Sochi would host the Olympics. These federal funds that go towards supporting Sochi and its residents continue to do so.”
“We should accelerate the process of reviewing the system of inter-budget relations and establish additional incentives for the regions. It is important for maintaining the so-called points of growth and ensuring the balanced development of the regions around the country, creating additional opportunities for using individual professional potential and increasing the standard of living for people.”
“We created the stimulation fund for the successful regions, which was only the first step towards supporting our colleagues in the regions. <…>There is a simple logic to it: regions that are being developed actively, building up their economic strength, should receive more money and should be allowed to keep more money.”
“We'll be able to breathe new life into the Russian countryside, making our rural communities powerful and prosperous, only if we ensure high social standards. All discussion about the accessibility of public services in rural communities, including health, education, libraries, and arts and sports facilities, must begin with roads. The lack of rural roads has been one of Russia's main problems for centuries, and it's still the case.”
“We're committed to supporting all forms of entrepreneurship in the countryside, primarily small and medium-sized businesses. A programme for start-up farmers will get underway as early as next year. It will provide state grants for new farms, as well as long-term loans.”
“As of today, members of the intelligentsia constitute about one half of the deputies in local legislatures. <…>We see you as like minds and allies with whom we can solve shared problems, building strong and prosperous rural communities, with access to quality healthcare services and education, so that people could have confidence in their future and a sense of belonging. We should work together to make the Russian countryside full of opportunities for people seeking self-realisation.”
“One of our priorities is the creation in rural areas of efficient companies and of interesting and prestigious jobs. The idea is to provide local inhabitants with a source of decent and steady income while at the same time forming a solid economic and financial basis for sustainable development. Economic success underlies welfare, in the town as in the country.”
“It's clear that our system of approaches must also be changed. Requirements of the municipal authorities need to be formulated more clearly, and performance evaluation criteria should be introduced. This should be done by the people themselves in the first place. We are introducing these criteria to evaluate the performance of regional authorities and government institutions. These kinds of criteria for municipal authorities should also be in place. It is for this reason that the government has drafted major amendments to the existing legislation. In fact, for the first time ever, we are introducing a clear legal definition of such a concept as urban amenities and accountability of municipal authorities for the quality of work.”
“In 2012, the facilities of the Far Eastern Federal University will host the APEC summit. We are also entering the final stage of preparations for the World Student Games in Kazan, as you know, and for the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Russia will also host the World Football Cup and the World Ice Hockey Cup. Why am I pointing this out? Because we will try to hold these events in the same way that we have handled things here, to ensure that the legacy of these events is not simply worthy, but that it serves our people for many years to come. This is investment in development, in the new face of our cities and regions, in the quality of our people’s lives, in infrastructure and construction.”
“Today, the Northwestern Federal District plays as important a role in the country’s life, promoting Russia’s integration with the global economy. Suffice it to say that in 2010, the northwestern regions, with their logistics potential, accounted for one-third of Russia’s trade. I believe that these regions can be national leaders in transport and modern logistics development, setting high standards in this industry.”
“But on the whole the trend is positive because investments are flowing into industry – Rosneft has some plans there, new industrial clusters are being created. They are even thinking of creating tourist and skiing clusters and so on. If this trend continues – and I think there is more reason to think that it will than to think the opposite – then the number of people out of work will decline. I have no doubt about it”.
“This year alone 16 new schools are going to be opened, the teacher training university is expanding and a new academic building will be opened at Grozny State University. This year nine hospitals, a maternity centre and a lot of social welfare facilities will open for which there is a great need in Chechnya, of course. The amount of new housing built in the country as a whole increased by 0.8% in the first half of this year, and in Chechnya it increased by 7.2%. <…> The budget has a surplus of six billion in the first half of the year, that is, the revenues exceed spending by six billion. This shows that the economy is properly managed”.
“We must substantially increase the potential of the railway transport in the Urals Federal District. Organising interregional and commuter passenger carriage is a priority. Train stations have already been refurbished in Chelyabinsk, Yaketrinburg and Kurgan. <…> By 2013 Yakterinburg’s transport hub will become a major international logistic centre.”
“It is necessary to significantly expand the economic base of the Urals Federal District, to ensure its stability by creating promising innovative centres, industrial clusters to support small and medium businesses, developing new sectors, for example, tourism, the nanoindustry, pharmaceutics and the services.”
“The Agency [Strategic Initiatives Agency] must closely cooperate with the regions. In the autumn we must begin creating the regional network, which includes the establishment of the Agency’s offices in the Russian regions. The Agency must control the situation in the regions as well as select projects and people that deserve our support. We must provide equal conditions for self-realisation to talented people, especially young ones, and support interesting projects throughout the country.”
“Our common task is to make people feel comfortable in any part of Russia, to make them proud of the cities, towns and villages they live in. That’s the only way to establish a solid basis for the steady development of the country, and we have everything we need for this today.”
