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.”
"I would like to draw your attention today to one of the key problems, stimulating investment in development. Russia's economy still has a deficiency of investment. Whole sectors require an overhaul of their infrastructure and technology. To remain competitive, Russia's industries need to dramatically increase energy efficiency and labour productivity, cut costs and introduce more innovation."
"I would like to draw tour attention to a number of key sectors where, we believe, investment is crucial. First, I am thinking in terms of sectors involving the development of the transport and energy infrastructures, telecommunications, and digital television."
"Along with further implementation of tried and true anti-crisis policies along with a few new methods we have planned, at least new for Russia, although maybe successfully tested by other countries, the Government will begin working on a major exit strategy - a set of policies to modernise the economy and ensure post-crisis development."
"Apart from removing administrative barriers, we have cut taxes significantly. As you must know, Russia has the lowest income tax rate today, 13%, and also the lowest corporate tax rate in both the G8 and BRIC - 20%."
"We are open to foreign investment. Last year we adopted a law regulating the procedure allowing foreign capital to gain control of companies in strategic sectors. Ladies and gentlemen, that law was adopted largely as a result of consultations with our foreign partners, who said openly that we must tell them clearly where they can work, under what conditions and where they could expect limitations. We have done so."
"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."
"We must make final decisions on the most rational location for Olympic facilities, and find additional opportunities to reduce environmental impact. We are obliged to protect nature against harmful, careless, or unprofessional interference. It is highly important to take into account constantly the advice of experts and the representatives from environmental protection agencies."
"The Olympic construction programme is fully funded, but it is clear that there are plenty of opportunities to save money on practically every project, including sports facilities, transportation infrastructure, and electric power stations."
"Two difficult sections of the road bypassing Sochi have been completed this year. The second stage of this project should also be completed this year. Such projects are crucial for the city and the upcoming Olympics. It is also essential to commission the alpine road leading to the Roza Khutor ski resort in time. In February of 2011, it will host the Alpine Skiing European Cup."
"Despite the economic difficulties, we have managed not only to retain practically all of the investors in Olympic projects, but also to attract new ones, for instance, for the construction of ice rinks. Previously, we had planned to use government resources to fund these projects. Nevertheless, we are still looking for investors for Olympic projects. This issue should be resolved without delay. It is essential that we meet the requirements for the number of hotel to be constructed."
"I would like to draw your attention to another item of our agenda, the expanded intra-CIS cultural ties. In May 2006, we signed an agreement with our CIS colleagues on establishing a special Cultural Cooperation Foundation. I would like to note that the Foundation has become an outstanding aspect of CIS cultural life in the past three years. Dozens of publishing and museum projects have been implemented. The Foundation has some interesting ideas on education, science, support for the media, sports, tourism and youth policies."
"In the long run, our countries are mostly united by a shared history and cultural heritage, a common information space, science and sports ties. This is why Russia has invariably supported and will continue to support expanded contacts between CIS nations and is ready to create the most favourable climate for the successful performance of the Cultural Cooperation Foundation."
“Today, a year after the start of the crisis, we are seeing the first signs of economic recovery, and we justifiably expect that the Russian economy will start gradually improving in 2010. I hope that the GDP will grow, even if just a little. The Ministry of Economic Development predicts growth of 1.6%.”
"Assuming that in 2010 budget revenues will make up 16% of GDP, or 6.9 trillion roubles, and expenses are expected to reach 9.8 trillion roubles, the budget deficit will stand at 2.9 trillion roubles, or 6.8% of GDP. Thus, the deficit will be less than this year's by 1% of GDP. In the current circumstances, I consider this an acceptable figure."
"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."
"We need to continue searching for and selecting new promising projects, primarily in the regions - specifically those that require comparatively small resources, projects that rapidly pay for themselves and are capable of rapidly improving the socio-economic situation in specific cities. We must also replenish budgets and create additional jobs. Particular attention should be paid to single-industry cities."
"We talked about the need to employ new growth factors long before the crisis. In this sense, we invested our hopes in public-private partnership. Much has been done since then. In particular, we developed legislation for this joint operation, passed the law on concessions, special economic zones, and the Development Bank. We also adopted amendments to the Budget Code and formed the key institutions, including the Investment Fund, which we set up in 2005."
"Today, 21 projects of federal importance have been approved within the Investment Fund. Total allocations for these projects will amount to 54.5 billion roubles in 2009. Another 10 billion roubles will be invested in regional projects, which will be financed by the regions themselves. On average, the Novomoskovsk cluster has shown that each rouble invested from the federal budget brings in about 3.50 or even 4 roubles of private investment. In other words, the efforts of the Investment Fund have catalysed the investment activity of business, just as we hoped it would."
"The crisis has made its changes to our plans. First of all, we were forced to make some difficult decisions about concentrating investment resources on the projects that are almost finished and to postpone the beginning of many new projects. Secondly, we have taken the step of using Investment Fund resources to prevent the threat of mass never-ending construction projects, particularly in the regions of the Russian Federation. We have compensated the regions the lack of their own resources by using the funds of the Investment Fund."
