“As of January 1, 2012 we must raise the pensions for servicemen and members of all security services. <…> The people who have a special responsibility to their country and to society, and who carry out their duty, will be able to count on decent social guarantees. For our part, we expect improved performance from all the structures responsible for the security of the state and its citizens."
“The next issue concerns retired actors. <…> I’d like to tell you that the government has decided to pay one-time bonuses to the veteran actors who need state assistance. Many of them continue to work despite their advanced age, impressing us with their energy and talent, but many others can no longer work for health reasons and so need our assistance. We will do this; we will pay them one-time bonuses. Furthermore, we have decided to make additional payments to People’s Artists every year.”
“Service personnel and members of security and law enforcement agencies must enjoy the full range of social benefits that match their important responsibility: these include decent salaries, the provision of housing, quality medical care and opportunities for further study.”
“I would like to ask you to prepare a draft government resolution that would include monetary compensation for all specialists who qualified to receive these benefits for the whole period and pay it all out retroactively in 2012. In addition, it must also introduce social support measures for all federal medical workers employed in rural federal medical facilities.”
“The first thing that needs to be done is to give children with disabilities an opportunity to study alongside their peers, in order to let people to be familiar with living in this environment from a very young age, so that they learn to understand each other's problems, to sympathise, help and support them.”
“By 2016, the number of schools with this barrier-free environment must be increased by more than eight times – from 1,200 today to 10,000, and this work must be continued in the future. We must also actively introduce distance learning for children with disabilities because that may open up opportunities for self-fulfillment.”
“I’d like to discuss one more important issue that requires responsible and well-orchestrated efforts on behalf of the federal and regional authorities. It is impermissible to have a formal, bureaucratic, or callous approach to this issue. I’m referring to the social adaptation of young people leaving orphanages and children’s homes. In simple terms, this is a question of how to help them find their place in independent adult life, acquire normal living conditions, receive professions, and find jobs. Needless to say, we must do all we can to protect them against risks, swindlers, and overt criminals. <…>Yet, we must openly admit that we still don’t have a systemic approach to this issue. Government bodies must follow up on every young person leaving a boarding house. They should know everything about his or her life, requirements, and difficulties.”
“I am convinced that in forging a new image of Russia’s army and navy, in reforming other security and law enforcement agencies, we need to focus on people and basic issues like the professional improvement of service members as well as providing stronger social security and decent pay.”
“The Pension Fund administration is called on to organise its work in such a way as to facilitate trouble-free allocation of pensions, benefits and other social payments. I would like to stress that people’s interests must be a priority for the Pension Fund administration.”
“Russia is the world’s only country to have carried out a large-scale modernisation of its pension system and raised pensions and other benefits during the economic crisis. As a result, pensions for retirees grew, on average, by nearly 45% last year alone.”