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 should help to polish regional legislative initiatives, to unify proposals that may come from different provinces but that all have to do with some systemic problems of the nation as a whole. <…>Government experts, [Duma] deputies and members of the Federation Council should work more proactively with, and provide assistance to, regional legislators.”
“First of all, penalties for electricity underuse are now to be scrapped. This issue is a particularly sensitive one to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as to agrarian enterprises. It is from them that we most often hear legitimate complaints about the take-or-pay principle. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that this principle has been holding back entrepreneurial activity in electrical engineering and other industries while also bringing undeservedly high proceeds to distribution companies. This issue has now been resolved, and consumers will not have to pay for electricity that they don’t use. Small and medium-sized businesses will be given an opportunity to build their work, including in electricity consumption, on a long-term basis and without having to bear the burden of additional costs.”
“The improvement of working conditions is a policy we are pursuing for our people’s sake. It’s aimed at raising the safety level, minimising industrial risks, and creating quality jobs, so feedback from trade unions and the business community is of special importance. The government’s job will be to introduce such a system of assessing and managing professional risks that measures up to the highest international standards, those of the International Labour Organisation and of major European nations. And, of course, it’s essential to ensure the efficient, targeted use of funds allocated for labour protection.”
“Our main stake, of course, is on Russian enterprises. Our shipbuilding industry should be prepared for the serial production of advanced models of equipment and armaments that conform with all modern requirements and objectives of the Russian Navy. We need the best available equipment at prices that are cost-effective.”
“I am confident that the implementation of this armaments programme, which is unprecedented in terms of its objectives and its allocated resources, will help us carry out a full-scale retrofitting of the Army and the Navy, fundamentally renovate the Naval infrastructure, create strategic Naval nuclear forces comprising fourth-generation submarines, purchase modern surface ships and conduct upgrades and repairs of the existing equipment.”
“Obsolete equipment must be replaced by efficient high-tech vehicles. I am referring to new rail locomotive models, commercial vehicles, buses, trolleybuses, trams and shuttle minibuses, which should meet the modern requirements of safety, comfort and environmental protection.”
“What we actually need is an efficient and transparent market of railway operations that would be immune to such artificially created problems as a shortage of rail cars. <…>We need a system that can ensure the coordinated work of the carrier companies and the availability of trains for customers. The transportation fares must be adequate – on the one hand, they should provide operators with enough resources for investment and development, and on the other hand, they should not constrain economic activity in other industries, and across the country.”
“I can tell you that we plan to attract 1.5 trillion roubles of private investment into the building of new roads by 2020. We should use leasing more actively, issue bonds to finance projects and use other investment tools. We will sign concession agreements and life-cycle contracts in road-building, when the contractor is economically interested not only in building a road, but also in doing so at reasonable prices and with a high quality of work so that the road will last for decades.”
“We will continue developing the infrastructure of the Russian railways. In the past four years over 50 complicated tunnels and bridges have been built or renovated. Access routes to key sea ports have been expanded, high speed passenger trains have been launched. Dozens of railway stations have undergone a complete renewal. <…>And I think we should develop a state programme on high-speed rail operations. Given the size of our country, this would be a highly popular project, and very important for the development of our economy.”
