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
“Support from Russian citizens has always helped us, and I’m confident that the government’s future line-up will rely on the people. We must never forget about the needs of ordinary people. We must always remember how government-level decisions influence the lives of all ordinary Russian citizens.”
"We must change the structure of the energy balance to increase the share of the so-called non-fuel power generation, non-fuel sources of energy such as nuclear power generation, hydropower generation, and other renewable resources. As for hydrocarbons, the key priority should be a deep conversion of the commodities, the production of high value-added output, and the development of modern gas chemistry and petrochemical sectors. The share of power generation should grow to 14% by 2030, and the depth of conversion to 90% from 72%."
“We will stimulate subsidies to balance the budget. Their size will depend on the current share of severance tax revenues in the budget of each particular region. The decision will concern 32 regions, and we will work with each of them separately to balance their budgets. Also, all revenue from the management of the assets of the Reserve Fund and the National Welfare Fund will be transferred to the federal budget from January 1, 2010. In addition, the share of profit which the Bank of Russia will be obliged to transfer to the federal budget will be increased from 50% to 75% in the next three years.”
“We propose transferring the severance tax (mineral production tax) to the federal budget in full beginning next year. At present, 95% of the severance tax is transferred to the federal budget and 5% to the budgets of Russia's constituent entities. In the past, we permitted that minor deduction to the regional budgets, but the decision to transfer 100% of the severance tax to the federal budget will increase it by at least 46 billion roubles in 2010.”
“As you have seen and heard today, a gas pipeline to Tskhinval has been launched today. As I have already said, it was laid in a record short time along a complicated alpine terrain, and rids the republic of its dependence on gas supplies via Georgia. This was also Russian gas but it was supplied via Georgia. Now South Ossetia itself can become a transit country for Georgia.”
“There was no other way of ensuring this stability but to recognize the independence of both republics, because we realized that the current Georgian political leaders will not leave them in peace. It is necessary to establish the conditions for ensuring reliable security for the long term.”
“I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Russia is also supporting Georgia. I'm sure you know that Georgia is receiving no small amount of assistance through the International Monetary Fund (IMF). We are an active member of the IMF, and regularly make serious contributions to this international organisation, which are then distributed among the distressed countries, Georgia included. This shows once again that we are not interested in humiliating Georgia, and we are not interested in having losers and winners here.”
"Much has been done since then for developing full-scale relations between Russia and South Ossetia and for consolidating their legal foundation. In September 2008, we signed a Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, and last April, the Agreement on Cooperation in the Protection of South Ossetia's State Frontier. The Russian border guards have assumed responsibility for securing peace and tranquility in the region."
“Russia has appropriated about three billion roubles - 2.8 billion roubles, to be exact - for supporting the republic's budget this year, and another 8.5 billion roubles for restoring the infrastructure facilities. Out of the 8.5 billion roubles, 3.5 billion roubles have been spent. Let's see what can be done in the remaining months of this year. We have agreed with the republic's President that if some funds are not spent, we will not rush to meet the deadline for spending them. The main task is to guarantee the quality of construction.”
"Despite certain economic difficulties, we have kept our space projects on the budget priority list. This year alone almost 82 billion roubles have been appropriated for these projects under three federal programmes. Let me specify that these allocations amount to 58.2 billion roubles under the Federal Space Programme, another 15.3 billion roubles under the federal targeted programme GLONASS Global Navigation System, and yet another 8.2 billion roubles under the federal targeted programme on developing Russia's defence and industrial complex in 2007-2010 and beyond. Thus, the total is 81.7 billion roubles."
