Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Krasnodar Territory Governor Alexander Tkachev
Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Mr Tkachev, we have many matters to discuss as always, but spring farm work is the main problem in Kuban today, especially because the warm weather began later than usual this year. How is the sowing going?
Alexander Tkachev: Kuban has traditionally been an agricultural region, and we focus our attention on finishing the sowing in time and having good crops. We concentrate our financial resources and workforce on this seasonal farm work. Already almost two million hectares have been sown – summer cereals and, most important, hoed industrial crops. This huge job will be finished in a few days.
Spring weather came rather late this year, as you know, and we have had heavy rain, especially this month – three times higher than the average. So sowing was slower than usual, but we have good young crops, and we have reason to expect a decent yield if there is no more bad weather. It is our duty to produce our standard 10 million tonnes of grain this year.
Vladimir Putin: Summer is at hand, and Kuban is making its usual preparations for the holiday season, especially with the situation in North Africa. Great numbers of Russian vacationers usually go to Egypt and Tunisia. We would certainly like things to get back to normal there as soon as possible for tourists’ safety. Anyway, some Russian vacationers will choose to go elsewhere, and our travel agencies and hotels have the chance to attract them. The tourist industry is, as we know, similar to other industries – its prices should correspond to the quality of its services. How are you preparing for the season?
Alexander Tkachev: Yes, the tourist industry certainly matters no less than harvests to our region. You are quite right about that. We began preparations as early as the winter, and we expect to have 13 million vacationers this year. About 90% of accommodations have been booked. We hope that we’ll have a fine summer and the sea will get warm enough for swimmers by the end of May.
We are doing much to improve tourist services and keep prices affordable. You are quite right that we should take advantage of the collapse of the North African tourist industry and steer vacationers elsewhere, including the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory. We must do this with quality first and foremost. Prices and quality should be up to world standards. Russian people come to our region for vacation from all parts of the country, and they enjoy it. The regional authorities must do everything in their power to increase the number of hotels and guided tours, so that we host not 13 but 20 million vacationers a year. We have every chance to achieve this. The more visitors the more jobs and budget revenues we will have, and tourism will spur up the development of big and small businesses.
I thank the government for its support of the resort industry, all agrarian reforms concerning fuel prices, and for cutting airline fares. They, too, are an incentive for vacationers to choose our resorts. I believe the region greatly benefits from it.
Vladimir Putin: Will Krasnodar host any World Cup matches?
Alexander Tkachev: Certainly. So will Sochi. It will be an unprecedented occasion when two cities of one region host the World Cup at the same time. A great many people in Kuban are football fans. A match in Krasnodar attracts up to 30,000 spectators – a national record! Even Moscow is behind us in this respect.
Vladimir Putin: Let us get back to economic affairs. What are the region’s achievements for the first quarter?
Alexander Tkachev: We were doing fairly well, with considerable progress in macroeconomics and particular industries. The GDP grew by 6% in the year’s first three months, and we hope for an even greater growth throughout the year. Construction businesses were doing the best, with 15% increase, and the entire industry with 10%. Small businesses, recreation facilities and farms had a 5% increase. All this increases wages. We expect the monthly wage to increase to 18,500 or even 19,000 roubles before the year’s end.
Vladimir Putin: You mean the average wage?
Alexander Tkachev: Yes. It will be a 12-15% increase – an impressive figure. The regional budget will total 150 billion roubles, with a 15 billion increase within the year. We estimate the year’s investments at 600 million roubles – enough to increase the GDP and create new jobs.
Vladimir Putin: You mentioned the construction industry… I have looked through the statistics and know that housing construction is developing quickly in your region.
Alexander Tkachev: Yes, we rank second in Russia in terms of output.
Vladimir Putin: Coming after Moscow.
Alexander Tkachev: Yes, with 3.5 million square metres (a year).
Vladimir Putin: What does a square metre cost?
Alexander Tkachev: 30,000 roubles at the minimum, depending on the quality of the house, living space, decoration, etc. It is the threshold price according to the standards of the Ministry of Regional Development. Even despite reasonable prices, we are very active with launching the mortgage crediting programme. We have the help of the Ministry of Regional Development and the entire federal government for this unique project. I hope that it will allow us provide the loans within the next three years for young families and other people in the region to buy 30-50 thousand flats.
Vladimir Putin: Have you drawn up a programme to promote mortgages for young families?
Alexander Tkachev: Of course we have.
Vladimir Putin: So you subsidise the interest?
Alexander Tkachev: We do. We also have an unprecedented programme of accommodating orphans. About 350 orphans 17 or 18 years old receive new flats every year. That’s what we do to reduce the rates of homelessness and crime.
Vladimir Putin: Mr Tkachev, I remember we had a technical problem with a high-tech medical centre. Is there any progress on it?
Alexander Tkachev: Thank you for your support. Really, the construction of the Prosthetics Centre was marking time – due to external factors, I think… We have looked into the matter. You see, when the ship [with the equipment] was crossing the ocean…
Vladimir Putin: I know it all. How are things now?
Alexander Tkachev: We have decided at the government level to pass this federal centre with all equipment into regional ownership. The Orthopaedics and Prosthetics Centre will be built in the central regional hospital.
Vladimir Putin: So you will have no special construction site?
Alexander Tkachev: We are using the available building. It is very convenient, and the centre will handle the same 3,000 surgical operations a year. It is also very expedient that the centre will be managed by the regional authorities. It will be a fine health centre. It will save many lives. Meanwhile, injuries – especially traffic accidents – rank third for mortality rates countrywide and in our region, coming after heart diseases and cancer.
Vladimir Putin: The Ministry of Healthcare has basically approved your idea.
Alexander Tkachev: Certainly – after your orders.
Vladimir Putin: Good.
