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
Registered unemployment dropped for the first time since monitoring began (in October 2008) in the last week of April by 0.7% to 2,268,000, a spokesman for the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development announced yesterday. Just last week Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the weekly growth of unemployment had slowed down from 9% in January-February to 1.6% in March-April.
The idea of introducing a unified tax on real estate instead of the current property and land taxes can only be described as new by a stretch. This keeps cropping up every time bureaucrats are faced with the question of how to replenish local and regional budgets. The idea has been revived by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who proposed introducing it as early as 2010, but at differentiated rates so that the owners of expensive “investment” real estate should pay more and the owners of more modest accommodation get some preferential treatment.
Teachers from all over Russia have presented a 13-point Programme of Anti-Crisis Measures for 2009 (ACM-13. 9) to the Government. The financial crisis is no excuse for saving on education, but the teachers decided it can certainly justify putting some of the more unpleasant reforms on hold.
This year the government allocated money for retraining of 216,000 unemployed workers.
The approval ratings of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin dropped to a record low over the past year, according to an opinion poll conducted by Levada Centre from April 24th to April 27th. Still, they enjoy the support of the majority of Russians: 68% of respondents approve the President and 76% of the Prime Minister.
According to the Interior Ministry, about 30,000 people participated in May Day demonstrations and rallies in Moscow, which is less than City Hall had expected. Government authorities had approved 32 applications for demonstrations from pro- and anti-government supporters, and had expected up to 70,000 people to assemble. Demonstrators in one part of the city chanted “The Putin Plan is a plan for victory” while those in another part called for taking power from the Prime Minister’s Government.
The President has decided to personally present his budget proposal to the Federal Assembly at a meeting of the Government Presidium. Dmitry Medvedev did not reveal the details of the upcoming proposal, but the most important member of the audience, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, has already unveiled some details during his visit to the Astrakhan Region last week.
Dmitry Medvedev has rearranged the Far Eastern administration and appointed the Governor of the Khabarovsk Territory as his Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, replacing Oleg Safonov, who has been transferred “to another job.” Mr Medvedev’s candidate for Governor is Viacheslav Shport, a former State Duma deputy and regional industry minister.
“The atmosphere was fraternal, they almost embraced each other.” This was how the Russian Ambassador to Ukraine, Viktor Chernomyrdin, described the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Yulia Tymoshenko, the first after the January “gas war.” Viktor Chernomyrdin would not say this without reason. Not that Moscow easily forgave Kiev for signing the “Brussels accord” with the EU, an agreement that excluded Russia from the plan to modernise the Ukrainian gas transportation system. Yet the two countries are bound together. In other words, the main supplier of gas to Europe and the main transit country have no option but to make peace and come to terms. The question is what sort of terms. This mutual dependence is the secret of Moscow’s new “love formula” with Kiev that has let it down more than once.
After the first of May, businessmen will get a hiatus from unscheduled inspections by police, fire officials, sanitary and medical officers and consumer rights agencies. As of May 1st, such visits must be agreed upon with the local prosecutor’s office and can occur only after official authorisation.
