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 have signed several Government Acts to resolve the pressing problems of developing healthcare, social services and support for industry. First, as we agreed, we will direct 4.2 billion roubles to the development of blood donor systems across the Russian Federation. Modern equipment will be purchased, which will help blood transfers be as effective and safe as possible, and will also help to deal with its storage. Second, I have introduced changes into the Federal Targeted Programme Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases. We are going to allocate 5 billion roubles, most of which will go towards the fight against tuberculosis. It is a serious problem, and we need to act constantly, in a focussed way. Incidentally in these crisis conditions this has become even more urgent."
"In general, high-tech industries such as space exploration, aircraft building, telecommunications and other industries have acquired great importance in our relations. The most successful and famous example is the creation of the Superjet 100 airliner. We expect that the aircraft will be certified later this year."
"In 2008, our bilateral trade turnover reached $53 billion, which is 50% more than in 2007. Italy ranks fourth among our trade partners. I am very pleased to note that despite the difficult global economic situation, Russian and Italian business leaders are confident and optimistic about our future, and they do not plan to abandon investment projects."
“We believe that the use of force in the world arena has recently been overdone. Instead of conducting unpleasant and prolonged negotiations all too often problems are solved by crude force, and that is counterproductive. I don't think that is the way to act in the international arena, be it with regard to Iran or any other participant in international life, international communication.”
"We are planning to preserve the number of budget seats in the higher educational establishments. This year, they will number 197 for 10,000. Moreover, more students will be admitted to magistrate and post-graduate courses."
"Starting January 1, 2010 the pension rights acquired before 2002 should be adjusted by an additional 10%, plus one percent of extra adjustment for every year of service during the Soviet period - until 1991. In this way, we will more justifiably appreciate the labor contributions of people during the Soviet time."
"If pensioners live in a region with a high cost of living and their pensions are below the subsistence level, they will receive special social payments."
"All in all, we are allocating an additional 600 billion rubles for social needs. The bulk of these funds are designed for the pension and other off-budget funds."
"Last year, pensions grew by 18.5% in real terms. This year, the nominal increase in labor pensions will be over 24%. As we declared, the average social pension will reach the pensioners' subsistence level."
"I believe it is impossible to delay the reform of the pension system and a tangible pension increase."
"The priorities here, as in regional politics in the regions of the Russian Federation should include: wage payment, the creation of new jobs, and fulfilling the social obligations to Russian citizens."
"The volume of Federal support for the regions in the revised budget has been increased by 36% compared with 2008. This help is accounted for in the new budget. In total we have set aside 1 trillion 200 billion roubles for this."
"So, by comparison with 2008 the budget for transport infrastructure development will increase by more than 100 billion roubles. It will rise to 560 billion roubles including 312 billion to be spent on motorways, compared to the figure of 294 billion for 2008."
"We need to develop alternative modes of trade, so that people have a choice: not only the main supermarket chain, but also weekend markets, local shops and so on."
"It should be said that federal budget spending on the national economy has been increased by 70% in 2009, to a record-high 1.733 trillion roubles (it was 1 trillion roubles in 2008)."
"I have already put the 2009 deficit at 3 trillion roubles, which is in the order of 7.4% of the GDP, as I said, but taking into account those quasi - fiscal resources, and above all, the same expenses from the central bank for the capitalisation of Sberbank, other expenses, it will be 8%. Such a sizeable deficit is a strong, effective medicine for the economy, but it should not be misused. That is why our plan envisages a strict programme to lower the deficit to 3% of the GDP by 2011. At the same time we suggest a war on inflation."
"We also needed to support banks- and probably above all - because we needed to preserve the people's savings in our banks and prevent the paralysis of settlements between enterprises. We attained both goals."
"Moreover, the banks that received support managed to increase lending to the real sector by more than 15% over the five crisis months, and issued loans worth more than 1 trillion roubles."
"We had to protect the national currency affected by the flight of capital and declining export revenues, to ward off the attacks against the rouble. We managed to prevent uncontrollable devaluation. As we promised, the decline in the rouble exchange rate, which was inevitable in the situation, was smooth; that allowed the economy and people to adjust to the new realities."
