Prime Minister calls on officials to work more responsibly and effectively.
Yesterday Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the Government House on the preparation of long-term programmes that will form the basis of budgetary planning for 2012 – 2014. In late April and early May, the government will approve the terms and parameters of social and economic development and decide on guidelines for tax and customs policy. The key aspects of the federal budget will be determined in June.
Russia's main financial document is to be submitted to the State Duma no later than October 1. Putin insistently recommended that the discussion should be made as open as possible and involve State Duma deputies and senators. He called on officials to carry out responsible and professional work at all levels.
All in all, 42 long-term state programmes will form the basis of budgetary planning, so they must be submitted to the government next month. The prime minister requested that particular attention be paid to financial soundness. The documents must be realistic and stipulate a concrete number of events and measures to be supported by budgetary funds.
Mr Putin said that Russian policy-makers must place fundamentally different demands on the effectiveness of government administration and substantially increase the return on every rouble in government investment. The work of each branch of power should facilitate the aims of national development. "The management of budgetary funds and other instruments of state policy must be significantly improved," he said.
Vladimir Putin called on officials to pursue a strict budget policy, to eliminate the federal deficit, and to start accumulating reserves. The prime minister said that the government must focus on key projects and ensure the fulfillment of its programmes in national security and defence.
Kira Latukhina