The Prime Minister proposes new main criteria for assessing the performance of governors
On September 16, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the International Investment Forum in Sochi. He drew attention to the importance of attracting foreign capital to the Russian regions.
“It would be better if the regions not only put forward projects, but also ensured that the work performed by the management teams was of a high quality,” Putin told the governors. “We need to create a single standard of business support in the regions to ensure that every company understands the rules and knows what kind of support it can receive from the regional authorities.”
The Agency for Strategic Initiatives will be engaged in creating such standards together with the local authorities and business representatives. Meanwhile, in the absence of these standards, the regions did their best to impress the Prime Minister with their projects.
Nearly all the Russian regions presented their stands at the exhibition, which was organised in the Forum halls. The Volgograd Region authorities engaged the most famous Volgograd native Anna Chapman to promote their region. However, the former spy failed to tell journalists much about the advantages of her native city; when Putin came by she just stood there smiling.
Among other things, Uryupinsk was advertised as the “provincial capital of Russia.” T-shirts with the inscription “I’m abandoning everything and going to Uryupinsk” were given to all visitors. The Prime Minister was especially impressed by a tractor covered with woollen shawls. He was immediately presented with a warm grey shawl and mittens.
The stand promoting the resorts of the North Caucasus and the adjacent republics received special attention from Putin. Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Alexander Khloponin told Izvestia that he was about to approve a 4 trillion rouble development programme for the North Caucasus with the Ministry of Finance.
“Why are you so bothered about this figure?” the plenipotentiary envoy asked in reply to questions from journalists. “Most of this sum comes from private investment and regional co-financing.”
He explained to Izvestia that the total cost of the programme will indeed amount to several trillion roubles, however Khloponin is only asking for 100 billion roubles of federal money. The programme itself includes projects by LUKoil, the North Caucasus Resorts and other big investors.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the stumbling block in the negotiations held with the Ministry of Finance were the funds for federal targeted programmes. Khloponin insists that financial support must be completed for the construction of those facilities under federal targeted programmes which have already had their funding reduced. They include schools, hospitals and other social facilities.
The plenipotentiary envoy said that he managed to agree this with the Ministry of Finance and the programme will be approved in the near future.
Other regions also did their best. Residents of the Astrakhan Region suggested that the Prime Minister should stand at the actual steering wheel of a virtual ship and sail across the Caspian Sea. Rostelecom’s stand featured Nikolay Fomenko’s supercar Marussia. The transparent section of the carbon hood of the car had an inscription that read, “Public services – transparent as never before.”
Everyone anticipated that Putin would sit behind the wheel of the luxury car, but he only opened the door and studied the leather interior. Then Fomenko sat in the car himself and started the powerful engine of the Marussia.
“Don’t go too far,” Putin joked.
“I deliberately didn’t engage the gear,” answered Fomenko.
“Not to compete with me, I assume,” answered Putin. “It’s got a pretty loud roar. Don’t frighten us.”
Then Putin went to the Rosneft stand, whose main exhibits were an oil derrick and a barrel.
“There is real oil inside,” director of the company Eduard Khudainatov told Izvestia pointing to the barrel. “A whole barrel.”
“We shouldn’t however pursue high prices, $150 will be enough for us,” joked Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov in relation to the price of the black gold.
Speaking at the Sochi Forum Putin promised to make the 2012 budget deficit-free.
Anastasia Novikova, Sochi