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 must create the most favourable conditions we can for families with children. Everything is important here, from government support, to the solution of housing problems, to the development of preschool education and labour market benefits.”
“In 2012-2013 all servicemen should be given permanent residence. In the near term we will also completely solve the housing problems of Chernobyl veterans. The numbers of housing certificates to resettled people will increase several times over.”
“I am asking the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development to work along with the other ministries, agencies and public organisations to determine what else should be done to enhance the effectiveness of our employment programmes for people with disabilities, including employment at federal and municipal agencies. I know from my own experience that when people with disabilities are offered decent jobs they sometimes work even more efficiently than people without any medical problems. They set a high value on their jobs.”
“First, we must provide incentives for those who would like to continue working after reaching the retirement age. <…> Our second basic goal is to further develop all the elements of the pension system, including pay-as-you-go, funded and voluntary contribution components, in order to guarantee the interests of current pensioners and those who are only working for a pension.”
“I'd like to remind you of our tasks in social sphere. Our first and most important task is to encourage the birth of a third child in families. I don't think this measure will cost too much. <…> One more important point is to bring stipends for students up to the subsistence level in the regions they live. This level will be around 5,000 roubles in the next calendar year.”
“Today we must make decisions that are required in order to apply the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Russian Federation. <…> The ratification of that international document is long overdue and this is an important step. In this way we confirm our willingness to conform with the highest international standards in ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities.”
“We must streamline the system of state benefits for university students. Those students who are in need of financial support and who would not be able to continue their education without it, should receive a monthly allowance for their living costs – that is, provided that they achieve good marks. This means an additional 5,000 roubles on top of what they currently get from the government.”
“We should draft a fundamentally new pension policy for the middle class so as to give people broader opportunities for making a responsible choice of scenarios for resolving their problems. Solutions to problems should not be found by the government alone but by people jointly with the government and with the assistance of the government.”
“It is absolutely unacceptable for the birth of a child to bring a family to the edge of poverty. A national goal for the next three or four years is to make this totally impossible. <…>I propose introducing special benefits for the birth of a third and subsequent children in the regions where the population continues to decline, in the amount of a child subsistence minimum payable until the child reaches three years of age. In practical terms, this would amount to about 7,000 roubles a month.”
“In the next few years, we must create a system to help every disabled person who is able and willing to learn and work find their educational and professional niche in life: from specialised educational programmes to jobs adapted to an individual's specific requirements.”
“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.”
“We must now see that this work continues, attaining our strategic goal step by step. In short, pensions must total at least 40% of a workers’ pre-retirement income.”
"We need a uniform and efficient policy of resolving such problems for the elderly. We need feedback from them. For this reason, it is necessary to tap the potential of non-government veterans’ organisations, which is why, at the January meeting, we agreed to set up a Coordination Council on Veterans’ Affairs under the government. Today, we are to approve a resolution to establish it."
"A comfortable environment for people with disabilities is our absolute priority. We have announced our commitment, subscribed to all international conventions, and adopted the national programme. Now we need to translate those plans into action."
“We are preparing to adjust social pensions, also by 8.8%, as of April 1. We still have some obligations to fulfill. We will consider what to do next in this field. We can't do otherwise: in most cases, pensions are the only or the primary means of subsistence for the elderly. We didn't let their incomes fall during the crisis, and we can't let it happen now.”
“I'd like you to keep an eye on inflationary tendencies so that we can stick to our pledge to raise the payments by at least 9%. We'll make our final decision depending on the current economic situation and the rate of inflation. But this prospective rise cannot be under 9%.”
“Parents and guardians bringing up two children will have a 2,400 rouble monthly benefit, which increases to 5,400 roubles for three children. Families with four or more children will have a 3,000 rouble benefit for each child, starting with the fourth. Both parents or both guardians will be entitled to the benefit. If there is only one parent or guardian in a family, he or she will receive double the benefits, as justice requires. Benefits will also double for families with children who have health problems.”
“War, military service and labour veterans have done a lot for Russia; they have worked for the country their whole lives. We all know very well that common people have lived very modestly, in particular during Soviet times. People often worked without the hope of receiving financial benefits, honouring their responsibilities and doing their duty to the country. Actually, the older generation, our senior citizens have worked selflessly for the benefit of the country all their lives, fighting in wars when necessary. Today these respected citizens have the right to expect us to provide them with decent living conditions, to feel that the government will care for them.”
"We have a programme of incentives for creating jobs for people with disabilities. This year the government is paying 30,000 roubles to employers for each new job. We will continue this programme and further increase the bonus. Employers will receive 50,000 roubles for each new job next year. While we were implementing our anti-crisis measures, I noted that when decisions were being made to reduce production costs, jobs for disabled people were the first to be cut. But this is only one example. I'd like to send the message to executives at all levels that such practices are inadmissible."
"Since 2008, we've allocated 89 billion roubles for programmes to provide housing for veterans, allotting 34.5 billion roubles this year alone. However, to meet all commitments to the people that were put on a waiting list after March 1, 2005, we'll need to allocate an additional 81.2 billion roubles for these purposes by the end of this year. I repeat, a total of 89 billion roubles has been allocated for this programme since 2008, 34.5 billion roubles have already gone to it this year, and 81.2 billion roubles will be provided by the end of the year. It's quite a large amount, and much will need to be done. Please don't put this issue on the back burner; everything needs to be finished in a timely manner."
"We will draft and adopt the Accessible Environment government programme. It will be distributed. Corresponding standards will be introduced in construction, architecture and so on. But I do not think this is sufficient. I think that the term Accessible Environment should include the training of everyone who works with the general public, with the community. All of them - doctors, teachers, and those who work in the social sector - should adapt and be trained to work with people with restricted movement or limited abilities. This is the extremely important, because it creates the corresponding mental attitude in society."
“I would like to draw your attention to some important considerations in the social sphere such as the income level of military pensioners. We need to think about improving the system, especially considering the upcoming reform in the military pay system. It is evident that civil pension increases created a misbalance in the pension provision for military pensioners. I believe it's necessary to immediately increase the bonus payments for military pensioners. Currently the payments are 240 roubles. These need to be increased to at least 1000 roubles. We have assigned 7.9 billion roubles for this purpose.”
“On April 1 we indexed pensions by 6.3%, as we promised, and we must provide funds for this decision. Preliminary estimates indicate this will cost about 129 billion roubles. Another 13 billion roubles will be channelled to finance federal and regional increments to pensions. In addition, we are planning to allocate 92 billion roubles to provide housing for the veterans of the Great Patriotic War who registered after March 1, 2005, as well as for citizens previously dismissed from military service and sent to register on the municipal housing waiting list, which is famously slow.”
“First of all, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the victims' families. We must make every effort to support the families struck by the tragedy. Let me emphasize that this task is for both the federal and regional authorities, and an absolute responsibility of the mine owners: they should certainly realise that it is their responsibility. We must also support those injured in the blasts, who are currently being treated at hospitals here and in Moscow. We must spare no effort to ensure that they are nursed back to health. There is a government decision in place to allocate one million roubles from the Reserve Fund to each victim's family and 200,000 to 400,000 roubles to each of the injured miners. Medical and psychological assistance to the injured and the families of those killed has been taken care of. The most severely injured miners have been taken to the best hospitals in Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation. I would like to hear from you today what specific efforts will be made by the Kemerovo Region government, and what the Raspadskaya owners will do. Please keep in mind that the support efforts should be targeted and not be limited to one-off payments.”
“It goes without saying that our society and the state should do everything in their power so that veterans can enjoy honour and respect and lead a dignified life. In this context, I'd like to say that it is our duty to make sure you always feel the moral support of society and the state. I'm deeply convinced that this is necessary, not just for our veterans, but primarily for our society as such, because all citizens of our country should understand and see with their own eyes that our state will never ignore those who work honestly, and, if need be, fight selflessly for the protection of their Fatherland, even placing the greatest sacrifice of all on the altar of common victory - their lives. And, I repeat, this is a powerful lesson for future Russian generations.”
"I would also like to inform you that I have signed the executive order of the Government of the Russian Federation today providing lump sum payments to veterans of World War II, persons disabled due to World War II, widows from the war and underage prisoners of Nazi concentration camps. A lump sum of 5,000 roubles per capita will be issued in honour of the approaching anniversary of the Victory in World War II. Individuals involved in the war effort on the home front and adult inmates of Nazi concentration camps will receive a thousand roubles each. I call on the Ministry of Finance to comply with this order and issue relevant allocations on time."
“I am confident that the indexation will not distort macroeconomic parameters. We managed to reduce inflation last year and sustain this trend in the first months of this year, which shows that we will manage to meet the planned macroeconomic targets. A responsible policy means, among other things, fulfilment of our obligations to our citizens. Therefore as of April 1, 2010, pensions in Russia are to be increased by 6.3 percent.”
"1 we began the first stage of pension reform, which essentially entails the so-called valorisation, or adjustment, of pensions for those citizens who earned them during the Soviet era. Moreover, now a pensioner's pension cannot be below the subsistence level, no matter where he or she lives. In this context we must resolve another important problem. Together with the regions, we must establish a mechanism for providing additional social payments to bring pensions up to the subsistence level wherever necessary".
"Russians entitled to the Maternity Capital benefit, can begin spending the money from January 1, 2010 for purposes stipulated by the law - buying better housing, paying off their mortgages, and financing their children's education and the accumulative part of their future pensions. As we have promised, the size of the Maternity Capital benefit in indexed every year, and will reach 343,000 roubles in 2010. We have allocated 102 billion roubles from the federal budget for this purpose".
“Regarding material support, the Russian Government will send the families of the deceased 400,000 roubles each and the Perm Territory will provide 100,000 roubles. Consequently, the total value of the support will be half a million roubles. Victims will receive 300,000 roubles out of the federal budget, plus another 100,000 out of the territory's budget. Consequently, a total of 400,000 roubles. Money can help solve many things, but not everything. In this case, far from everything. Therefore, I want to draw attention to the fact that the most important thing right now is consideration for people. We need to provide them with moral support. We need to help the families of the deceased. Let us make do with all formalities and, I repeat, provide them with moral support.”
“Every necessary measure is being taken to investigate the circumstances of this tragedy. The Emergencies Ministry is conducting additional inspections on concert halls, clubs and other similar facilities of mass recreation. This work has started. But the main thing now is to save those who have suffered burns and injuries. Many are in serious condition”.
"We set before ourselves the goal of achieving such a level of pension support that the average old-age pension would not fall below retirees' cost of living. We will certainly accomplish this objective in 2010. And we have further plans to raise pensions at a specific pace, although naturally this will depend on the overall state of the Russian economy. If everything proceeds as planned, pensions will exceed retirees' cost of living by at least 150% by 2050, which is our planning horizon for pension support."
"All the World War II veterans are to be given flats regardless of whether or not they joined the waiting list before March 1, 2005. We are financing this out of the budget for 2010. I have just one question or request for the veterans and the administrative bodies: determine as quickly as possible the number of people who are entitled to new housing under that decision. This needs to be done so that our construction companies could get government financing in time to buy or build the required amount of housing in 2010."
"A decision has been taken at government level and at the level of RusHydro, in which the government holds the controlling stake, that all the station workers from the families of those who died or are missing, and in general all the station workers who have been affected will get preferential treatment in terms of jobs for the whole period of its recontrction, as well as after the station has been restored, and you should have no doubts on that score."
"We passed a decision at the end of last year, in December, to increase the wage fund for the federal public sector workers by 30% at once, but we immediately launched a reform of the budget sector. I will tell you in a nutshell what these reforms amount to. We have given public sector institutions much greater discretion as to how they spend government money and have enabled them to optimise their spending. In other words, optimisation of expenditure is to a large extent in the hands of the managers of various institutions."
"When we talk about this country, about Russia, we start with its economy, efficiency and competitiveness, and all that is very important. But our ultimate goal is people. Russia is its people, and we must make them happy, improve their lives, as well as Russia's healthcare services, security, defence potential and infrastructure."
The list of possible options for the use of maternity capital may be extended further. Why haven't we done it yet? Only in order to secure women's interests. It's easy to withdraw this money. 317,000 roubles is a considerable sum for people in the regions. It will simply vanish overnight. It won't be spent on education, housing or to replenish pension account funds.
"Instead of the Consolidated Social Tax, insurance premiums will become another source of additional off-budget funding for social programmes. The tax rate will be 26% in 2010, the same as in 2009. The deferment will allow businesses to keep additional resources to help them through the crisis. However, beginning in 2011, insurance premiums will increase to 34%. Even so, certain insurers will enjoy preferential rates until 2015. Who are they? They are farmers, enterprises run by national organisations of people with disabilities, folk artists, small indigenous communities in the North, and the residents of special innovative technological zones."
"As a matter of fact, in ten days, from December 1, the basic part of the pension will be increased by 31.4%. In 2010 pensions will grow by an average of 46%. As a result of the re-evaluation of the pension entitlements of those who earned these entitlements back in the Soviet times, the average old-age pension will exceed 8,000 roubles. We will no longer have elderly people whose incomes fall short of the living minimum."
"In 2010 we will meet all of our commitments to provide Second World War veterans with housing. We will provide flats for all the veterans who need them, including those who did not join the waiting list before the earlier deadline of March 1, 2005. After all, war veterans have earned the right to state support and care with their whole lives, and not simply by making it to the waiting list on time."
"The budget for 2010 focuses on social programmes, with one of its key articles dealing with a large-scale pension reform. We all know a lot about this issue, and have discussed it a lot. Pension allocations will account for roughly 10% of the gross domestic product-an unprecedented amount that will increase pensions by an average 46% throughout the year."
