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.”
“The operating tax system is based on deriving profits from the exploitation of old oil deposits, and does not encourage subsoil users to develop new ones. We have already made decisions on the introduction of tax extraction tax holidays for the development of deposits in East Siberia, the Caspian Sea, the Arctic shelf, Yamal, and the Nenetsk Autonomous Area.”
“It would be wrong to rely on budget funds alone to carry out the technological modernisation of the economy. We should encourage businesses to invest more in innovations, both independently and under public-private partnership.”
“I think that despite all current problems, the state is obliged to guarantee steady funding of fundamental research, and there will be no reductions in this sphere.”
“We must think about funding the development of critical technologies in defence, healthcare, space, aircraft-building, education, and environmental protection. We will not curtail or shelve promising scientific and technological programmes.”
“At the November meeting we adopted together with you a number of priority measures aimed at the company's financial recovery. I'd like to brief you once again on the planned measures - the MiG open joint-stock company will receive 15 billion roubles to increase its charter capital by issuing additional shares. The Government has already signed a relevant decree.”
“The company (MiG)has been awarded a state contract worth 17.3 billion roubles. As was just discussed, the Defence Ministry will pay 11 billion roubles in the first quarter. At the same time, we hope that the company will itself make a serious effort to improve its financial condition by streamlining spending, reducing costs, refinancing debts (I rely very much on the understanding of financial institutions), finding more effective forms of production cooperation, and begin reorganising the system of management and post-sales support.”
“Since 2001, federal budget appropriations on civilian science have grown from 23 billion to 149 billion roubles - that is, more than six-fold. We have adopted a plan for the scientific and technical development and modernisation of the domestic economy for 2008-2010.”
"The Governor asked for more than 600 million roubles from the federal budget. During all this time, different departments held consultations, and the final decision will be as follows: We will help him get these 620 million roubles, out of which 310 million will be subsidised, and another 310 million will be loaned to the Samara Region."
“The Federal Financial Markets Service has drafted amendments to the Criminal Code aimed at curbing violations on the securities market. <…> It is not enough to declare certain actions that inflict damage on bona fide investors illegal and ban them. A substantial punishment should be introduced for such actions, and this punishment should be unavoidable. Under the December draft, the longest conviction for such actions is seven years in prison”
“The ratification of the European Social Charter will certainly make a difference. It will provide additional guarantees for Russians and will encourage our domestic social standards to follow the best international practices. This is very important.”
“We planned to upgrade pensions three times this year: the basic pension was planned to go up by 8.7% starting March 1, the insurance part of the pension by 15.2% starting April 1, and now we'll have to increase it by 17.5%, and starting December 1, 2009 by 26.5% or, if necessary, by 30%.”
“We also need to consider proposals to ratify intergovernmental agreements with Jordan and Qatar on encouragement and mutual protection of investment. This will create a friendlier environment for Russian businesses in those lucrative markets.”
“If we subsidize two-thirds of the Central Bank's refinancing rate (we have agreed to do so, which is why we must do this) for citizens who take out car loans in 2009, the state will have to pay 8% of the rate they pay to commercial banks for them. It is necessary to allocate funds in the budget for this purpose - about two billion roubles.”
“Regional employment programmes. I issued instructions to develop such programmes early in the year. I am aware that this work has been completed in 72 regions. They will get 21.8 billion roubles in funding, out of the total 43.7 billion. Fifteen programmes have been approved and 3 of them have already been signed. They are Yaroslavl, the Kirov Region, and Kransoyarsk.”
“The Yaroslavl region offers an example of a diversified programme. 3.500 people are to be sent for retraining. Several hundred people can move to a new place where they will live and have temporary employment, but they will be entitled to benefits. And another 22,000 people will be sent to a place of temporary work, where temporary jobs will be created for them.”
“If inflation is higher, the increase may be by about 30%, but we should look together at the real state of affairs and raise it by as much as is necessary so that the average size of the social pension is not less than the living minimum of a pensioner. This is the challenge facing us, and we must meet it.”
“Russia is ready to discuss any issues and problems, including the whole range of issues connected with law and freedom. We hope that these problems will be discussed together. We are still not satisfied with the way the problems of the Russian-speaking minority in the Baltic states are being addressed. We are aware of the rights of migrants in European countries and how they are violated. We know the situation in some penitentiary systems in some European countries, and have similar problems. We think it is necessary to discuss the whole range of problems both in Russia and in the European Union countries to find common ways of solving them.”
"Russia is the EU's third-largest trading partner after the United States and China. We are the EU's fourth-largest supplier. During the past year, Russia imported more than 100 billion euros worth of goods from the EU. This is a significant amount in international economic relations, which is why our consultations are obviously important."
“One more serious question on our agenda is linked to preparations for the Olympics in Sochi. VEB is designed to be a major money lender to the companies involved in the construction of Olympic facilities. In the conditions of the global crisis, this will allow builders to attract long-term loans on acceptable terms, given, of course, proper guarantees of compliance with commitments. I consider it necessary for VEB to issue loans exclusively for the payment of the work done. Needless to say, its real scope and costs should be permanently monitored.”
