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
"Russia is certain to remain the absolute leader in gas production and sale for the next few decades. And, of course, we can resolve our domestic energy problems and honour all of our export commitments."
"We should also formalise mandatory technical maintenance of technically complicated and potentially hazardous equipment by the companies that produced it. In such complicated cases and regarding such complicated hydroelectric facilities as power plants, we should probably introduce data recording equipment similar to aircraft's black boxes."
"There is one more problem in the Russian power industry - we need to synchronise regulation at the systems operator - power plant level with due account of safety requirements."
"I believe it is necessary to say again that the investigation must be conducted as carefully and objectively as possible. One of its results should be a change in the rules of operating hydropower plants and all other large and technically complicated facilities. The undivided priority should be given to technological safety and the protection of people's lives. The point at issue is to amend industrial safety legislation, and in particular stipulate strict requirements to the workers' qualifications and their personal responsibility."
"I would like to draw your attention today to one of the key problems, stimulating investment in development. Russia's economy still has a deficiency of investment. Whole sectors require an overhaul of their infrastructure and technology. To remain competitive, Russia's industries need to dramatically increase energy efficiency and labour productivity, cut costs and introduce more innovation."
"I would like to draw tour attention to a number of key sectors where, we believe, investment is crucial. First, I am thinking in terms of sectors involving the development of the transport and energy infrastructures, telecommunications, and digital television."
"Along with further implementation of tried and true anti-crisis policies along with a few new methods we have planned, at least new for Russia, although maybe successfully tested by other countries, the Government will begin working on a major exit strategy - a set of policies to modernise the economy and ensure post-crisis development."
"We need to continue searching for and selecting new promising projects, primarily in the regions - specifically those that require comparatively small resources, projects that rapidly pay for themselves and are capable of rapidly improving the socio-economic situation in specific cities. We must also replenish budgets and create additional jobs. Particular attention should be paid to single-industry cities."
"We talked about the need to employ new growth factors long before the crisis. In this sense, we invested our hopes in public-private partnership. Much has been done since then. In particular, we developed legislation for this joint operation, passed the law on concessions, special economic zones, and the Development Bank. We also adopted amendments to the Budget Code and formed the key institutions, including the Investment Fund, which we set up in 2005."
"Today, 21 projects of federal importance have been approved within the Investment Fund. Total allocations for these projects will amount to 54.5 billion roubles in 2009. Another 10 billion roubles will be invested in regional projects, which will be financed by the regions themselves. On average, the Novomoskovsk cluster has shown that each rouble invested from the federal budget brings in about 3.50 or even 4 roubles of private investment. In other words, the efforts of the Investment Fund have catalysed the investment activity of business, just as we hoped it would."
"The crisis has made its changes to our plans. First of all, we were forced to make some difficult decisions about concentrating investment resources on the projects that are almost finished and to postpone the beginning of many new projects. Secondly, we have taken the step of using Investment Fund resources to prevent the threat of mass never-ending construction projects, particularly in the regions of the Russian Federation. We have compensated the regions the lack of their own resources by using the funds of the Investment Fund."
"I would like to say that the use of public-private partnership allows us to use the resources and possibilities of the state, the regions and business, to lower the risks for project participants, to distribute zones of responsibility among them, and to balance their interests."
"Our main objective in the development strategy of the country is to diversify the economy and to enhance labour productivity and investment in the so-called human capital, that is, in education, healthcare, and so on. These key priorities have not changed, despite the crisis. Moreover, while trying to overcome the consequences of the crisis, we are paying more attention to these issues as our key priorities."
“In 2010, we intend to improve, albeit modestly, the main macroeconomic indicators, achieve a positive growth of the GDP, industrial production, and agriculture, as well as stabilise real incomes of the population. In a word, we are planning to switch to post-crisis development.”
It is the Russian Government's duty to organise production implying large added value. Our Government does not differ from any other Government in the world in this respect-which does not mean that we can act spontaneously, be unpredictable, make headlong moves, and damage our long-established partners.
"Yesterday I announced that I had signed a Government Resolution on allocating 25 billion roubles, or some $700 million, to VAZ. We did it in coordination with Renault and in a way that would not undermine the foreign partner's position and share in the joint venture. I believe this is very important during the current crisis. We also see that our partners, in this case Renault, also understand the situation."
"This is a good project, with over $200 million of investment, 50,000 cars and 750 new jobs. Moreover, it has the capability to increase production several-fold, to 500,000 cars, without increasing its production area. The company is so far using only one-third of the land plots allocated to it in the city. However, the decision to increase production will depend on the market situation."
"This is by no means a reason to give up the strategic guidelines for the country's development laid out, as we all know, in the Programme for Russia's Development until 2020."
"We are committed to privatising excess state property. At the same time, in present-day conditions it is vital to ensure that the privatised assets are properly valued. Even allowing for the crisis we should not sell government property below market price."
"Public property should be used exclusively for the benefit of the entire society and help to tackle national challenges rather than enrich certain individuals or, as we used to say, "a group of comrades". In this connection we have decided to reduce substantially the number of the so-called Federal Unitary Enterprises, or FGUPs. Last year their number was cut by 40%."
