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 should consider security. The programme [a Russian Railways investment programme for 2010] provides 450 million roubles for counterterror measures and 426.5 million roubles for fire prevention. Traffic safety will claim another 2.5 billion roubles. I think this proportion should be kept. At any rate, we must plan for such expenses today."
“Quite recently we decided to contribute 4.4 billion roubles to the company's registered capital so that it could reach settlements with suppliers and solve other problems. The money has been received. Early next year, Uralvagonzavod will receive 10 billion roubles in the first quarter, also for its registered capital. This is direct aid to the company for its financial recovery and servicing its debt, which is being acquired so that the company can be modernised, even in these difficult conditions.”
"In this case, I am speaking as the company's ardent advocate. <…> We are trying to encourage innovation-based development. Engineering is the sector of the economy where innovations should be introduced. Our policy should not be to shut down all our companies and import everything from now on. Our policy should be to move our industry to a higher technologic level through evolution and not revolution. I am confident that we will be able to do that."
"We will make a considerably larger investment - I mean the state - 50 billion roubles, and Renault has undertaken to invest the necessary amount of 300 million euros in the form of technology, in the form of equipment, and in the form of its know-how, in order for AvtoVAZ products to reach global standards in the passenger car sector. Indeed, the new platform should be able to launch an absolutely new car under the Lada brand. A considerably larger number of cars will be released under this brand."
"And now let us move on social issues. Renault itself has good experience in reorganising its companies without mass layoffs. Small and mid-sized subsidiaries are set up around these companies that work with the head firm. People that are made redundant because of new technology go to work for these companies. Pouring in money for no particular reason and generating losses is pointless."
"I have also recently signed documents stipulating additional support for the Sukhoi Corporation itself. As you know, we capitalised the company some time ago, and have made yet another similar decision recently. I am confident that the national aircraft industry, primarily the civilian segment, has a good future despite all problems, and that the industry will be operating to capacity in the next few years."
"This decision has been made, and the Government's executive order on allocating an additional 17 billion roubles to the Amur Shipbuilding Plant in several instalments signed. The first 1.9 billion roubles will be allocated by late December 2009. Another 1.6 billion will be allocated next year. The enterprise will receive 3.2 billion roubles in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, as well as another 3.4 billion roubles in 2014. We hope very much that the funding, as well as current efforts to place orders at the enterprise, will facilitate its recovery and stable performance."
"As far as the aircraft industry is concerned, we have established the sizable United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). You probably know this. Unfortunately, the UAC has inherited all problems from previous years, including massive debt. We have just adopted a decision to provide additional support to the UAC. We will allocate several billion roubles for its authorised capital and will start restructuring its debt worth another 46 billion roubles in the next few years."
"Support must be provided primarily to well established and competitive companies as a part of anti-recessionary measures and other government support programmes. We should avoid keeping inefficient production facilities afloat at all costs. It is necessary to prevent companies in this industry from taking advantage of their position as a monopoly as early as possible. This applies mainly to production facilities that became infrastructure monopolies back in the Soviet times and then developing as integrated production facilities."
"Understand that businesspeople expect me to tell them what we are going to do in the immediate future, and I will do so. But at this point I am speaking about our development strategy. We have always behaved honestly with regard to our partners. I would like to say for everyone to hear: we will not change our strategy. Any other approach would run counter to the logic of our strategic course for rebuilding our economy and - this is also very important - would undermine Russia's reputation as a reliable partner."
"I can tell you that the moratorium on the increase of unprocessed lumber prices will be extended into next year, 2010. I believe a similar decision can be taken for 2011. But we will make a decision based on our analysis of the situation on world markets. We hope that our foreign partners will use the additional breathing space judiciously - incidentally, this applies not only to foreign partners, but to our own logging industry as well - in order to expedite the implementation of their development projects and not appeal to the Russian Government to extend the moratorium year in and year out."
"The new Russian Forestry Code, which came into force in 2007, has set transparent, market-oriented rules for the industry. They are based on environmental responsibility, equal access to resources, and incentives for those who invest in advanced timber processing. Such investors will receive tracts of forested land without auction. We have simultaneously decided to phase in higher export duties for unprocessed lumber. I would like to stress that this is by no means an attempt to weaken the position of our competitors. It is a very natural and long overdue step towards a more modern and diversified economy. I am confident that such steps open up new opportunities both for us and for our traditional partners. To be fair, one cannot but notice that we have given our foreign colleagues an excellent opportunity to expand their business. In effect, we have given them direct access to the Russian market and sent them a signal: come and build your facilities, create jobs, and work."
"We do not believe that the current problems are reason enough for giving up our plans for modernisation altogether, or for abandoning our commitment to scaling down the export of raw timber. I am speaking about our development strategy."
"The Russian car market has a bright future, especially when the crisis ends. I am confident that post-crisis growth will be considerable, and there are objective data showing that the Russian car market is the largest in Europe. Several years ago we decided to launch large-scale cooperation with our foreign partners in the auto industry. And today the bulk of the world's leading automakers have plants here, which we regard as an inalienable part of the Russian automotive industry. Specifically, the anti-crisis measures currently being implemented in Russia include these plants. We will provide all-round assistance to the traditional automakers. They have a large part to play in the Russian economy, as they ensure employment in dozens of cities and entire regions, and I am confident that they can deal with the current problems, modernise production, and roll out competitive products and cars that will be in demand."
"The timber industry requires greater support in these hard times. We have done something for it already. In particular, we are subsidising interest rates on loans to businesses and lumber exporters. Allocations for purchasing new equipment are being made through Rosagroleasing. Many plants are on the Government list of essential companies, which entitles them to government guarantees."
"I deem it necessary for the Russian Government to explicitly define its position on the use of forest resources, the development of the timber processing industry, and the basic principles of cooperation with our foreign partners. Obviously, we cannot be content with just supplying raw timber and with the current state of the industry… We have chosen to modernise the industry, establish new high-tech plants, create new jobs and come to the international market with competitive finished products. We should also work more to conserve our natural resources."
"I would like to tell you that the Government has drafted a decision on issuing the next tranche of state guarantees amounting to 36 billion roubles to the Agency for Housing Mortgage Lending. These additional funds should help the AHML to continue to develop mortgage lending, and therefore support people and the construction industry."
"A decision has been made to speed up the construction of the onshore spillway. I spoke about it during the meeting at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant. As much as 4.3 billion roubles will be allocated from the Government's reserve for this purpose this year."
"The Russian Government is drafting a state energy efficiency programme. We have drafted a new Energy Strategy for a period until 2030. In fact, we would like to develop a fundamentally new energy system that will be more reliable, effective and environmentally friendly."
"The energy industry's investment programme in general. The programme prioritises reliable energy supplies and construction of new modern power plants. Notably, state-controlled companies must commission about two gWt of power-generating facilities in 2010. Private investors who have bought into the energy industry during the reform of utility giant Unified Energy Systems (UES) are planning to build another 3.8 gWt of power-generating facilities. The new owners of power-generating companies have pledged to implement investment development programmes and must, naturally, put them into practice."
