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.”
“We can consider buying the assets of high-tech foreign companies to develop mutually advantageous cooperation and transfer part of the production to Russia on valid economic terms.”
“As in previous years, we will protect our domestic market, for example, the agrarian sector, with customs tariffs. Needless to say, we will do this without harming the interests of Russian consumers or violating our international commitments. In addition, we have decided to give price preference to domestic suppliers when they are awarded government or municipal contracts. In my opinion, such protectionism is appropriate as a temporary measure.”
“I suggest a number of other steps. I propose reducing the rate of profits tax by four percent starting January 1, 2009. This should be done at the expense of the federal part of this tax. The amount involved is more than 400 billion roubles and all this money will continue working in the economy next year. Also, 15% is the current fixed tax in the simplified taxation scheme for small business. To further reduce the tax burden on small business, and create more impetuses for its development, I suggest giving regions the right to reduce this rate by 10%, that is, to five percent.”
“Businessmen often complained to me that the tax authorities delay the VAT return. I believe that these authorities should adopt a completely different attitude on this matter, and return the VAT much faster. They could suggest an optimal model for major tax payers. We had such practice before. The current debt on VAT return should be reduced to the minimum before this year expires.”
“I have instructed the Ministry of Finance to suggest measures to support regional budgets. Moreover, considering the special situation with the profits of enterprises in the fourth quarter, I propose they be given the right to pay taxes on the real profits they have received since the start of this year. This decision will allow them not to be taxed on profits which so far exist only on paper. In this way, business will not be crediting the state for free, while the regional budgets will not have to reimburse companies for overpaid taxes at the beginning of the next year. Now I would appreciate your attention! I am asking our deputies in the State Duma to adopt the required amendments to the Tax Code allowing this norm to become valid in a week, starting November 28. This is important because taxes are due on this date.”
“It is necessary to regenerate our social institutions. Today's investment in education, health care, and other social endeavors will give us a competitive edge tomorrow. It will allow us to occupy a stronger position in the post-crisis world where man's role is bound to grow.”
“To become competitive, we need to boost labour productivity in key industries three- or fourfold; and increase the share of innovative production in total output - from the current 6% to 25%, or even 30-35%. We should also reduce the economy's power consumption by at least 40%. Under the present circumstances it is especially relevant to achieve these goals.”
“We will seek sustainable population growth, increase life expectancy to 72-75 years, provide all citizens with access to quality healthcare and education, and guarantee reasonable pensions. Finally, the majority of households should have the real possibility of solving housing issues themselves.”
“We should focus on making our economy more effective, and improve its infrastructure. We should learn to develop alternatives for conditions when prices of raw materials are not growing rapidly. We should get rid of unjustified costs. In this context, we should work out a serious energy-saving programme. The current drop in prices on energy resources does not make this task redundant.”
“We will need to significantly boost the effectiveness of traditional industries: mechanical engineering, fuel and energy, raw materials processing, transport, banking and agriculture. We will also need to effectively promote new points of growth, especially the development of human potential and modernisation of the social sphere.”
“We need cutting-edge, innovative development. Russia must solidify its role of one of the world's largest economies and maintain sustainable GDP growth rates.”
"We have always honoured our commitments. Russia has always been a reliable partner. We told our Finnish partners recently that we are ready to postpone certain decisions because of the current international crisis. We do not want to create any additional problems, and are not going to do it. However, we will have to implement some of the announced decisions, and I would like to draw the attention of all the Government's members to this. We will have to carry them out to protect our national interests".
"Moldova will chair the Commonwealth in 2009. This is a trying time for the world economy and finances. The CIS countries should protect their interests and pool their efforts to overcome the global economic and financial crisis. The Russian leadership is willing to offer the greatest possible assistance to its Moldovan partners in solving those problems."
"Our Moldovan partners have proposed Chisinau as the venue for the 4th forum of the CIS scientific and cultural intelligentsia. We greet this initiative and shall offer it every support."
"We confirm the noteworthy progress of our contacts. Bilateral trade reached $1.3-1.4 billion in 2007, and hit the billion dollar mark in the last eight months of this year. As my colleagues and I have said, we have every reason to expect a $2 billion turnover for the whole year despite global economic problems".
"Generally, we and our Moldovan colleagues have quickly and efficiently come to mutually acceptable decisions of late in the key points of our partnership - energy, trade and agriculture".
"This year as many as 20 regions, that have achieved high results, will receive a bonus of two billion roubles from the federal budget. The regions are free to determine priority tasks for using these additional funds."
"I would like to stress that we are not trying to preach at local governments about the way they should operate. According to the Constitution and the law, it is their domain. They can choose priorities and the pace of reforms independently. However, it is the federal government's prerogative to allocate financial aid to regions in accordance with a local governments' efficiency. And we will certainly take advantage of this right."
"We have been reforming railway transport since 2001. It was then that the federal programme was approved and its main stages outlined. Today two of them have been completed. Specifically, we have set up the joint stock company Russian Railways, and independent operators have agreed to manage the freight market. Today, in the third stage of the reform, the main objective is to lay out a competitive market for both freight and passenger rail service."
"I'd like to refer to a draft law we must examine that will raise pensions. The law provides for a base pension increase starting from March 1 of next year by 8.7%, and from December 1 to 2,460 roubles a month, that is, by another 26.15%. All in all, we plan an increase of 37%."
"I should add that Russia endorses developing CIS integration, including cultural ties. In 2006, we fostered the founding of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation. Today we will decide on making a voluntary donation to the fund. These funds will be spent on joint research, cultural and educational projects."
As we know, Nord Stream company spent a record-setting amount of over $100 million on environmental research. As we have agreed between us, all interested Finnish agencies will receive exhaustive information on the issue quite soon. The decision will be up to relevant Finnish organisations-government agencies and, I expect, public organisations-because we intend to keep in close contact with environmental organisations on a wide range of relevant issues.
"Finland is without any exaggeration one of our most important partners in Europe. Not only because we are neighbours, but also because the figures of our trade turnover suggest this. Our statistics show that in the first six months of this year Russia also became Finland's top partner, ahead of Germany".
"The talks have shown once again that Russia and Finland are determined to make further progress along the road of partnership. We have come to an agreement on extending Finland's lease of the Russian stretch of the Saimen Canal, and have already coordinated a relevant treaty".
"Egypt is certainly one of Russia’s priority strategic partners, without exaggeration. We have a long history of friendship, interaction and practical cooperative work."
"Russia is one of the largest oil producers and exporters, and so cannot stay aside from world price formation. We will develop a package of measures to actively impact the market situation."
"I see small and medium business as a considerable reserve of enhancing the effectiveness of oil industry. Small and medium companies exploit minor and depleted oilfields in many countries, and occupy essential niches vacated by integrated corporate giants."
“Russia has long-standing good relations with the Arab world and your country. We are glad that the process of normalisation in Lebanon, too, is gathering pace, if only little by little. For all that, we realise that the situation in the region remains complicated. We are ready, as before, to do all we can in the economic sphere and in the sphere of political contacts to normalise the situation and to make sure that it moves in a positive direction.”
"I also consider it necessary that the congress should articulate its attitude towards the President's initiatives outlined in his state of the nation address. Mr Medvedev has advanced a comprehensive block of innovations aimed at the development of Russia's political system, as well as state and public institutions. In my view, United Russia should support the President's position and use its political resources to ensure the adoption of the President's initiatives in the Federal Assembly, and, if necessary, in local legislative assemblies."
"In his address, the President touched upon human resources. We will discuss this issue at the congress as well. I am convinced that we should strengthen the party's role in training and promoting highly professional and proactive people, who are keen on getting results in their work; promoting people that are in need both in the federal and local governments, and in the economy."
"I am sure that, to minimise the negative impact of global instability on the Russian economy, we need to launch new factors of economic development and growth as soon as possible. To achieve these goals, the executive and legislative powers at all levels should coordinate their actions. I would like to highlight that it is essential for general public to support and understand our policy. We must pay special attention to it; all our actions should be transparent and clear to the people. Of course, a great deal depends on United Russia's position, the country's biggest and most influential party."
"Active preparation for the congress [of United Russia party] has been under way - we are working on the congress' agenda, which will include steps to realise Russia's Development Strategy. Of course, we need to consider the current state of affairs in the global and Russian economy, discuss the Government's short-term and long-term measures, and report on the steps that are being taken to overcome the consequences of the global financial crisis. Despite present challenges, we are going to carry out our strategic plans in full."
"We [Russia and Iran] are good neighbours. Our contacts are rapidly growing, especially in recent years, and trade is increasing, with a turnover approaching $3.5 billion. Our contacts are diversified enough. I want to stress our cooperation in energy, transportation and communications."
"The heads of state at the Dushanbe summit have supported the social and economic development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. In economic cooperation, priorities belong to transport, telecommunications and high-technology projects. Together with the business and financial community, we must encourage joint projects in developing ground infrastructure, transcontinental transportation, energy, and modern information technologies."
"When we speak of high technologies, I think it would be timely, bearing in mind the scientific and technical potential and experience of our countries, to examine cooperation in the space effort, in drafting a programme for the practical application of space-based communications, navigation and remote sensing systems. We have good bilateral cooperation with practically all SCO countries in these areas."
"Emergency-prevention measures are a promising cooperative venue. We have agreed to establish the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's centre for facilitating joint disaster-prevention efforts and clean-up and relief operations. It is important to hold regular joint exercises involving all rescue units of SCO member-states and to establish close contacts between border-region rescue teams."
"Naturally, Russia has long-established links with China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. We must do everything we can to guarantee the progress of these relationships, and that's what we are doing. Hegemony is out of the question. On the contrary, you may have noticed that we seek ways to guarantee the interests of all member countries in the organisation. In fact, each country shares its competitive advantages in international markets and on bilateral arrangements."
"We believe the plans we have drawn in the Russian economy and in cooperation with our partners must be implemented. More than that, we will work to implement them at all costs because they will support domestic demand in our countries."
"I believe the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation should facilitate joint work on migration issues. Most importantly, we must obtain the maximum positive social and economic effect from migration. In order to accomplish this, we should create an effective system for countering illegal migration and provide incentives for legal migrants."
"Many financial sources were closing due to the international financial crisis, and that the markets for our traditional goods were shrinking to great extent. That is why we must implement our projects at all costs, when they are ambitious enough and especially when they involve economic infrastructure. Again, we must stimulate domestic demand. We must help each other finance projects. Russia, China and Kazakhstan have many such opportunities."
"The current global and regional conditions necessitate the need for enhancing the potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and its ability to promptly and adequately react to important developments. This issue was discussed in detail at today's closed-door meeting. I hope all colleagues will agree with the following conclusion: more closely-coordinated actions, including approaches to the development of national economies, are becoming more important today. In order to accomplish these objectives, we must use available cooperation mechanisms and, if necessary, create new ones. There are plans to finalise political-diplomatic measures and joint-reaction mechanisms for coping with situations that threaten regional peace, stability and security."
"Russia plans to be a part of modifying the global financial system that would facilitate real worldwide stability, prosperity and progress."
"No doubt, considerable budget funds will be needed to support the financial sector and industries. The amount should be commensurate with the scale of the problems that arise. Half-measures will not accomplish our goals. However, there are budget limitations that cannot be ignored. For this reason, the effectiveness of this budget spending - both current and additional - is vital".
"We have great expectations for the energy sector. This year Deputy Prime Ministers met twice to discuss energy issues. This new mechanism's key aim is to streamline our energy cooperation, and to coordinate the activities of Russian and Chinese companies."
"Cooperation in construction is another big issue on the agenda, particularly within the scope of Russia's preparations for the Olympic Games in Sochi and for the APEC summit in Vladivostok. Our Chinese friends possess vast experience in holding such major events. The recent Olympic Games in Beijing are an excellent example. I am certain this experience will be extremely valuable for us. We also welcome Chinese companies' participation in tenders for building sports and infrastructure facilities."
"It is widely known that trade in machinery, equipment and high-tech products is one of the most problematic aspects of our interaction. The current state of affairs falls behind the two countries' potential. This particularly applies to relevant Russian exports to the Chinese market. I believe that by joint efforts we can boost mutual flows of science-intensive products."
"We will soon mark the 65th anniversary of the Soviet people's victory in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War. But we also know about the Vietnamese nation's heroic resistance during the years of foreign military intervention. The heroic exploits of our veterans during the defence of our national interests are an example for all of us and for future generations, as well."
"We support a consistent removal of the barriers to foreign trade. We support honest and transparent rules of play in the world economy and finance. Russia will consistently promote integration processes. The priority here, of course, will be the formation of the customs union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and the strengthening of EurAsEC."
"Apart from being a high-priority partner in the Asia-Pacific region, Vietnam is also our strategic partner. Unfortunately, this status has yet to be translated into full-fledged trade and economic relations. However, both nations have a huge potential. The growth rate recently posted by your country proves that our trade and economic relations have a future".
