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.”
“Obviously, we cannot ensure a high level of culture in this country without due attention to and support for its cultural environment. To achieve this, it is imperative that we have a strong material-technical base that meets modern demands. <…> In making a decision on the construction or renovation of cultural facilities, it is necessary to determine the concept behind a given theatre’s development, choose a competitive repertoire, and hire a decent company so that it can live a fully-fledged life and fulfill its noble mission rather than lie idle or simply get leased out, as it happens sometimes, regrettably.”
“I’d like to address all those present and even those who are not here but are directly linked to the arts and have devoted their lives to this cause: we need modern, domestic content. What Mr Fokin said about the need to create an appropriate environment for that work – in this case in theatre arts – is very important. If we don’t do so, foreign producers will just squeeze us out as is the case in many European countries. If so, we will have to introduce non-market forms of regulation, which means that we will restrict our audiences and deprive them of choice.”
“Our agricultural producers need effective support this year to harvest good crops. Our aid should address all from major agro-industrial enterprises down to small private farms.”
“Last year, we ranked first worldwide in oil production with 505 million tonnes, leaving even Saudi Arabia behind. We cannot allow our own people to experience shortages of oil or oil products in any part of the country. We simply must be more flexible in reacting to the changes that are taking place on the global and, hence, on the domestic market.”
“Ultimately, the importance of healthy lifestyles and the need to combine efforts to fight non-communicable diseases should become the defining items on the global agenda aimed at meeting the 2015 Millennium Development Goals that world leaders adopted in 2000.”
“Russia plans to intensify the development of cooperation centres with the WHO, to introduce high technology in healthcare. For that, we will be tapping the potential of Russia’s largest state corporations. The development of medical technology is one of the priorities of their innovation programmes.”
“I would like to stress the successful development of Russian-Danish ties at all levels, and the strengthening of contacts between parliaments, agencies and regions.”
“It is important to promptly find and eliminate the barriers that stand in the way of successful entry of our companies into foreign markets. Of course, all the factors must be taken into account, starting with dishonest competition and ending with the streamlining of our customs procedures and the export control system. That is very important, especially in high-tech.”
“In recent years we have been reviewing administrative barriers, control and supervisory functions, but we cannot tolerate the situation when we remove some barriers only to see various agencies or regional authorities promptly generate a dozen new ones. <…>We must seek to match the best world standards within the next few years, the standards that make the conduct of business comfortable beginning.”
“It is necessary to create incentives to those Russian regions that foster entrepreneurship and competition in the regional markets, and strengthen regional innovative, economic and tax potential. It is important to strengthen the stimulating role of federal budget support: successful regions must get additional funding for innovative activity.”
“We must install a coherent system of strategic management, tie in sectoral and regional strategies with the priorities of the development of the Russian economy and the potential of the country’s budget and financial system. We must create an effective system of monitoring and correcting state programmes.”
“Budget investment should not be based on cost estimates, like it was in previous decades, in accordance with a very simple and primitive logic and formula whereby every year we must spend more than in the previous year. Budget outlays must be matched by real improvements. The people must feel it in their daily life when they deal with government institutions.”
“We need to increase the number of knowledge-intensive and well-paid jobs that will require highly educated employees and consistent professional training. Naturally, we also need to foster greater labour efficiency both in public and private sectors. This is one of the most crucial goals for the future.”
“We need a model that will ensure Russia’s competitiveness in the modern world, making its economy and financial sector resistant to shocks of all sorts while also raising the living standards of Russian citizens.”
“We need to consistently work toward reducing Russia’s dependence on the commodity market. We all understand this and have been discussing it for many years. In fact our common strategic goal is to ensure a sustainable and quality growth of our economy based on the domestic market and non-resource related sector.”
“We must look for an adequate price-to-quality ratio and reduce costs by increasing the scale of production and simultaneously converting to energy-efficient and high-tech products. In order to achieve this, we must carry out the industry’s holistic retooling and develop new, modern production lines. I believe that in this context, we must draw up comprehensive plans for the industry’s development in every region and every federal district. I want the governors to listen: every region must have a comprehensive plan for the development of its construction industry.”
“It should be built with the use of the most modern construction and architectural methods available, meet all standards of quality and energy efficiency, be eco-friendly, and, at the same time, remain affordable.”
“We must set more rigorous technological requirements and standards on housing construction and the production of building materials – they are the basic elements that influence the quality and final cost of construction, which is particularly important in housing.”
“A partnership between Sollers and Ford will bring new technologies into the national auto industry and expand the capacity of the company’s existing operations in several Russian regions.”
“We continue to elaborate the foundations of a national contract system that will be oriented towards reliable, conscientious suppliers. This implies easy access for our companies to state-guaranteed purchases and the removal of various administrative barriers.”
“I believe that the government’s report to the parliament is more than just fulfilling a constitutional requirement; it’s a tool for managing the democratic beginnings of the Russian political system. The dialogue between the government and the parliament is necessary not only as a way for the government to report its results for the year, but also as a way to make sure that we are on the same page with the deputies regarding the priorities of the national economy and social sphere.”
“Many have criticised Russian bureaucrats, and I believe that this criticism is often justified. We must substantially improve the quality of public administration and orient the state apparatus to the interests of the people. Needless to say, we must counter corruption, increase the responsibility of officials, and eradicate the very conditions for illegal conduct and bribery.”
“Another promising initiative is affiliating vocational schools and colleges with universities so that they can share infrastructure and teaching staff. This will certainly enhance the reputation of these education centres.”
“We will use every opportunity we get to strengthen these positive demographic trends and to support families with children. All aspects are important here: creating new jobs, having a flexible tax policy, resolving housing problems, and further developing the healthcare and education systems.”
“It is our goal to set up full production cycles inside the country, from R&D to manufacturing components and commercial production. This is a matter of principle, because it is the only way to create well-paid jobs, and maintain local technology, engineering, design and production at a high level.”
“We must put an end to the situation whereby free services are guaranteed on paper, but in reality people have to pay, be it at schools, hospitals or social institutions. Citizens must have free access to these guaranteed services, and the government should of course duly reimburse the publicly funded institutions for the high-quality services they provide. And then we will be able to make the institutions shoulder responsibility for the quality of their work.”
“I am convinced that in forging a new image of Russia’s army and navy, in reforming other security and law enforcement agencies, we need to focus on people and basic issues like the professional improvement of service members as well as providing stronger social security and decent pay.”
“In 2011 we will allocate another 105 billion roubles in social support for the jobless and for employment programmes, which will not focus on providing jobs but on upgrading worker skills and creating conditions in which people will be able to receive new, higher paid jobs that are in demand. The priority right to participation in these programmes is given to the people who objectively have problems with finding jobs.”
“Our employment policy is focused on creating modern, efficient and highly paid jobs, on stimulating new technology and through this reducing the percent of hazardous and dangerous jobs. <…>We will have at our disposal a set of administrative and economic tools for obliging employers to strictly comply with labour safety standards and to invest in the safety of their workers. We must raise the competitiveness and professional status of our workers and the prestige of the vocational trades.”
“Russia currently has more than 200,000 farm holdings and small agricultural businesses, and individual farmers account for up to 50% of Russia’s agricultural production. And we will continue supporting them and working to improve living standards in rural areas, to provide central gas supply, build homes, roads and infrastructure, and create conditions to attract young people.”
“We also plan to launch a project to support young farmers next year. We will be providing special grants for setting up farms using loan and leasing mechanisms, and will be helping farmers build durable and comfortable homes. Moreover, we will lift the ban on building housing on agricultural lands for farmers so that people can build themselves homes where they live and work.”
“We are building effective modern complexes and implementing family farm programmes. Our task is to ensure that Russian farmers become the masters of their own food market.”
“In 2010, Russia’s recovery from the crisis continued amid major natural disasters and catastrophes, an unprecedented drought, and heatwave and wildfires. <…> We must do everything to minimise the chances that the devastating disasters happen again. <…>As you know, a number of systemic decisions have been made, tougher fire safety regulations are being adopted, and the prerogatives of departments and government agencies are being clearly demarcated. A programme for re-equipping the Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief has been approved.”
“The year 2011 should become a year of major construction projects and of the completion of large-scale transport and energy projects. In fact, we will have to lay the foundation for Russia’s new infrastructure in the next decade. We need to ensure a breakthrough in the fuel and energy sector, and it should be a quality breakthrough based on greater efficiency and the deep processing of raw materials.”
“We are to find the kind of solutions that will give Russia the opportunity to go forward confidently and build a strong innovative economy, and each year of this development must bring real and palpable improvement in the life of people, for the absolute majority of Russian families. This is the thrust of our policy.”
“If United Russia wants to be competitive in the political struggle with other public organisations and political parties it should create a competitive atmosphere within its own ranks. We must make sure that our party conducts a free and open but objective and meaningful discussion of the urgent national issues, seeking their solution for the benefit of our people.”
“I truly hope that the ethics of respect for the environment, wildlife and the country’s cultural and historical heritage will eventually become a fundamental part of our national identity. We have a lot to be proud of, a lot to preserve and, most importantly, something to pass on to future generations.”
“We should tackle the gridlocks in the rail infrastructure; secure transshipment of the Russian coal at seaports and border crossings; and create the additional capacity for boosting coal exports, specifically in the strategic Asia-Pacific area.”
“The new law “On Medical Insurance” should kick in. It will give citizens the right to chose their own doctors, medical institutions, and insurance companies and use those facilities where they can get the best medical treatment.”
“I suggest that we annually publish the ratings of medical institutions and insurance companies taking into account the opinion of patients. We should start with state healthcare institutions, major insurance companies, and private healthcare organisations. I think that information on the real state of affairs at medical institutions and their reactions to citizens’ complaints must be absolutely open.”
“In making primary care more efficient and raising the qualifications of precinct doctors, the quality of their services will undoubtedly go a long way towards improving preventative treatment and the early detection of diseases.”
“As part of these modernisation programmes, modern standards of medical treatment must be introduced, and the system of state guarantees must be effective. Regardless of where a person lives, he or she must have access to free and high-quality medical service.”
“The eternal problem of our healthcare system must be solved. Doctors and mid-level medical personnel should be relieved of the chore of filling out often meaningless paperwork, while truly necessary information should be converted to an electronic format, including case histories. The Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development must quickly finalise the procedure for delivering primary medical assistance and determine the duties of precinct doctors and nurses.”
“We have paid special attention to pregnant women and newborns. About eight million women and four million babies received medical care as part of the maternity certificate programme. It should be noted that an efficient and competitive environment has been already established in this healthcare sector: a woman has the right to choose the maternity clinic that will provide her with the most comfortable conditions for her care.”
“You know about our project to build the Vostochny spaceport in Russia’s Far East. We could bring on Ukrainian specialists during the early stage of this project – they could take part in the construction of the spaceport. Most important, they should understand when spacecraft will be launched from it, what they will be like and where they will be produced.”
“The Pension Fund administration is called on to organise its work in such a way as to facilitate trouble-free allocation of pensions, benefits and other social payments. I would like to stress that people’s interests must be a priority for the Pension Fund administration.”
“We must be more proactive in introducing online Pension Fund services, in keeping online pension files and in facilitating online cooperation with insurance companies. This will ensure a more cost-effective and efficient disbursement of budgetary allocations. And, what’s much more important, this will provide more convenient pension services for the public. Document allocation deadlines will be shortened, and the number of required documents reduced.”
“Russia is the world’s only country to have carried out a large-scale modernisation of its pension system and raised pensions and other benefits during the economic crisis. As a result, pensions for retirees grew, on average, by nearly 45% last year alone.”
“We must now see that this work continues, attaining our strategic goal step by step. In short, pensions must total at least 40% of a workers’ pre-retirement income.”
