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
“The ratification of the European Social Charter will certainly make a difference. It will provide additional guarantees for Russians and will encourage our domestic social standards to follow the best international practices. This is very important.”
“We planned to upgrade pensions three times this year: the basic pension was planned to go up by 8.7% starting March 1, the insurance part of the pension by 15.2% starting April 1, and now we'll have to increase it by 17.5%, and starting December 1, 2009 by 26.5% or, if necessary, by 30%.”
“The Yaroslavl region offers an example of a diversified programme. 3.500 people are to be sent for retraining. Several hundred people can move to a new place where they will live and have temporary employment, but they will be entitled to benefits. And another 22,000 people will be sent to a place of temporary work, where temporary jobs will be created for them.”
“If inflation is higher, the increase may be by about 30%, but we should look together at the real state of affairs and raise it by as much as is necessary so that the average size of the social pension is not less than the living minimum of a pensioner. This is the challenge facing us, and we must meet it.”
“Essential amendments to the Tax Code and some other laws entered into force on January 1. <…> First, the tax credit on estate purchase and construction has increased to two million roubles. This law is retroactive, so families who bought housing in 2008 may also benefit from it. Second, maternity capital spending on mortgage payments has been authorised since the second child's birth, while we had previously planned to appoint the start since the child is three years old. <…> Third, children's grants have risen by 8.5%. Last but not least, we have exempted from taxes the greatest possible amount of employers' expenditures on personnel training, health care and housing.”
“The Government points out other opportunities to the public. Persons entitled to grants and soft taxation are welcome to use their benefits, while employers should retain corporate social programmes whenever possible and so not merely help their employees in these lean years but also to invest in the future by creating a basis for post-crisis development.”
“Tax inspections, the Pension Fund and other state agencies, in their turn, should be as quick as possible with considering relevant applications and help the population in every way.”
“Let me remind you that we have increased monthly unemployment benefits to 4,900 roubles, channelled additional 50 billion roubles into the employment service to provide volunteer public works for the unemployed if necessary. The list of such works could be extended, too, but it is extremely important that the schemes really reach the target companies and people - in short, that they work.”
“Employment services must thoroughly analyse employers' layoff plans, so that they don't lay off more workers than is necessary. I am aware of this problem, and I want you to focus on it.”
“Moreover, an additional 50 billion roubles have been reserved in next year's budget to conduct active policy in the labor market. All these funds will be transferred to the regions through the channels that you are already familiar with, but they are designed to fund concrete programmes to create jobs and organise public works. These programmes should be drafted with the active participation of local authorities by February 1 of next year.”
