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 first, a perennial issue in our relations with our neighbours, has to do with energy supplies. <…> Belarus will receive a so-called integration discount for a few years and by 2014 will gradually start paying as much as our European customers minus export duties and the transportation cost. Today, Belarus is paying 244 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres of gas. We have reached an agreement with the Belarusian government, whereby we will restructure these payments next year, given the difficulties facing the Belarusian economy. Next year, with an average projected price of about 400 dollars for European consumers, Belarus will be paying us 164 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres.”
“On December 4, a new lower house will be elected. The parliament will be renewed to represent the interests of the entire Russian society. There are different parliamentary parties in this house. This room will always bring together people who share various political views. This, in fact, is the cornerstone of a parliamentary democracy. This is the way it should be.”
“We need to expand the carriers’ capabilities regarding acquisition of new equipment and introduce more effective leasing arrangements. It’s no less important to renovate the transportation infrastructure – we have just mentioned it – and outfit it with reliable inspection and control equipment. The transport industry should adhere to the latest safety standards. These standards should serve as a foundation for regular professional training, retraining and evaluation of the industry’s employees.”
“More and more products featuring violence, murder and foul play make their way to our cinema, television and radio broadcasts. More than that, children and young adults have unfettered access to them. If the state starts to unilaterally dictate its terms and ban certain shows or broadcasts this will certainly be perceived as an infringement upon creative rights and freedoms, and the return of censorship. Of course, we are not going to do this. I am convinced that the cultural sphere, including the film industry, should be governed by laws of corporate ethics, and you are the ones to decide what kind of rules they are going to be.”
“You play an important role in the work to establish a competitive business climate in the country. As such, you should develop a constructive dialogue with taxpayers and should handle the issues that arise in a considerate and thorough manner; you should help businesses and citizens have a good understanding off the intricacies and novelties concerning taxes, and not persecute them for minor errors. <…>This work should be based on respect for the rights of the conscientious taxpayer and the protection of their interests.”
“We have a package of tax preferences in the economy, including simplified taxation of small business. Today, the tax burden on it is about 10% on average. The decisions that will relieve all healthcare and educational institutions of tax on profit entered in force the other day. This opens up broad opportunities for the flow of investment into these spheres and for launching projects based on public-private partnership.”
“We have settled such a sensitive issue as tax control on transfer pricing. The relevant amendments to the Tax Code will become valid on January 1, 2012. They will help reduce to a minimum the opportunities for unjustified reductions of the tax base and tax evasion. Moreover, tax revenues to the budget will be distributed more evenly – taxes will remain where companies pursue their main economic activities.”
“I consider the practice of tax rebates to be a big achievement as well and we must continue it. I’m referring to the right of all citizens to recover part of their income taxes if they had to pay for housing, medical treatment or education. These sums are not small – every year about 2.5-3 million people request tax rebates and the total payments reach about 50 billion roubles.”
“First, tax inspections need to be as convenient and comfortable as possible for people and economic players. Second, we should strengthen the stimulating role of the tax system, primarily for the purpose of structural modernisation of the economy and the social sphere, and for supporting innovation. The fiscal burden should be distributed more fairly across various sectors of the economy. And third, we must ensure stable tax deductions at all levels of the budget system, from the federal down to the municipal level. <…>Finally, the fourth aim is to guarantee the predictability and stability of the tax system as a major condition for implementing long-term plans of national strategic development”.
“The government’s policy is to consistently increase our treasury’s revenues, not only by increasing the overall tax burden on people and economic players, but also by improving the quality of tax administration, encouraging economic development and ensuring the necessary rate of economic growth, thereby expanding the tax base.”
“We are stepping up cooperation in the energy industry, including major joint initiatives in the oil-and-gas sector, civilian nuclear projects, energy effectiveness and energy-saving. Our French partners are making a practical contribution to the development of new routes for hydrocarbon deliveries to Europe. These routes are vital for the energy security not only of France, but also of the rest of Europe.”
“We are carrying out joint work on a large scale – both in traditional fields of cooperation and in completely new areas. We have just signed the bilateral action programme on partnership in modernisation. Its implementation will help us to enhance cooperation in high-tech spheres and start active work on science-intensive innovation projects.”
“In the Foreign Investment Advisory Council (FIAC) we regularly meet with foreign business executives and together, we decide how we can improve the business climate in Russia. As a result, we have simplified the issue of work visas for highly qualified foreign specialists. More than 11,000 work permits have been issued under the new regulations. We must continue removing the barriers that get in the way of business.”
“We have had many discussions during the process of Russia’s accession into the WTO, about how to organise this work in the future so as not to let down our investors and to fulfill all of our promises to them, on the one hand, while meeting WTO requirements in car assembly, on the other. We have reached a number of compromises, and Russia will shoulder part of the burden in order to honour its commitments to the investors. We are doing this in order to increase the technological level of the automobile industry and to saturate our market with modern competitive goods.”
“Importantly, the mutual flow of capital between our countries keeps growing. In the first half of 2011, the Russian economy received some $5.6 billion in investments from Germany. The amount of German investment that has accrued in the Russian economy has reached $29 billion. These days, German businesses are involved in many of Russia’s economic sectors, including strategic ones, and they operate in almost all of the country’s regions. There are more than 4,000 (4,600, to be precise) enterprises with German involvement currently operating in 80 Russian regions.”
“Of course, the Russia-Germany economic partnership is not limited to energy. We cooperate intensively in mechanical engineering, transport, the automotive industry and in shipbuilding. In this regard, particularly noteworthy are the sizable investments made in the Russian economy by German heavyweights such as Siemens (1 billion euros) and Volkswagen (which, on November 4, launched a new assembly line in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod, and the company’s plant in Kaluga turned out its 300,000th automobile in October).”
“We are open to broader cooperation and to the consolidation of business ties with our partners. And we believe that the mutual benefits of our cooperation are apparent to everyone. Large-scale joint projects in industry, infrastructure and power engineering provide a good opportunity to make long-term investments, insuring finances against unfavourable fluctuations on the world markets and enabling us to gain a foothold on new emerging markets. To stimulate and solidify economic growth, we need to make the most of our “mutual trust” capital. We’ve accumulated a lot of this with our European partners, notably with members of the German business community. And rather than wasting it, we’ve been steadily building it up in recent years.”
“All global economic processes are interconnected. Risks that are present in some markets inevitably have an impact on the overall situation. This is why well-coordinated collective efforts of all countries are needed to steer out of the crisis, and the roles of the Russian and German business communities are very important here. <…>This country is ready to join (and has already joined) the efforts to overcome the effects of the crisis, including in the Eurozone. We are prepared to render practical aid, primarily through the IMF mechanisms.”
“We'll be able to breathe new life into the Russian countryside, making our rural communities powerful and prosperous, only if we ensure high social standards. All discussion about the accessibility of public services in rural communities, including health, education, libraries, and arts and sports facilities, must begin with roads. The lack of rural roads has been one of Russia's main problems for centuries, and it's still the case.”
