The leadership of the United Russia (UR) party yesterday put its proposals on improving the Government's anti-crisis programme to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The Prime Minister in turn called on the party members to "bring in all the structural units" to explain the anti-crisis measures to the population.
EXPLAIN OR LOSE
The Prime Minister warned that "the anti-crisis measures will only be effective if the overwhelming majority of the country's citizens agree with us that the measures being taken are optimal and taxpayers' money is being spent in the best possible way". So, the effectiveness of the Government anti-crisis programme hinges on people's readiness to respond to it.
Chairman of the UR Supreme Council and State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov hastened to reassure Mr Putin that the people were not only well informed about the anti-crisis measures but had already filed their proposals on improving the plan with the party Chairman's public reception offices.
The secretary of the Presidium of the UR General Council, Vyacheslav Volodin, told the Gazeta correspondent that the party had collected and summarised the proposals coming from public organisations. "The task of organising a public discussion of the programme is being fulfilled. On April 6 (the day Mr Putin is due to report to the State Duma - Gazeta) we will be ready to submit concrete proposals for the anti-crisis programme," Mr Gryzlov reported to Mr Putin.
HOUSE SUPERINTENDENTS: ANOTHER RESERVE
The leader of the United Russia announced some of the proposals yesterday. For example, a hundred million jobs could be created by restoring the institution of house superintendents. Russia has about 3.3 million blocks of flats, Mr Gryzlov explained, and each of them needs a superintendent. The UR is ready to launch a campaign to train and retrain such experts. This is particularly relevant because many enterprise managerial workers have been laid off due to the crisis.
Vyacheslav Volodin explained that house superintendents will be in the pay of managing companies which at present maintain the residential stock. Thus employing house superintendents will cost the government nothing.
United Russia proposes to intensify housing construction in order to create more superintendent jobs. A list of priority investment projects must be made. "If they are named many Russians would be willing to give financial support to these projects", Mr Gryzlov is sure. The mechanism would be as follows: the Finance Ministry issues investment bonds, people buy them, after a while the state redeems the bonds. That kills two birds with one stone: the Government raises money for construction and citizens earn by selling their bonds.
GEARING UP FOR INNOVATION
The governing party also has proposals that could speed up the process of putting the economy on the innovation track. Russian scientists working abroad should be lured back to Russia. At present they take out patents for their inventions abroad because Russia does not yet have a working institution of patent attorneys although the law regulating their activities was passed some time ago.
Mr Putin said the idea made sense but admitted that in addition to patent attorneys scientists needed good research facilities and equipment and good housing.
The housing issue, the Prime Minister admitted, was still not being handled effectively, especially as far as young scientists were concerned.
By Anastasia Novikova, Maxim Tovkailo