Relief efforts following the August 2007 earthquake in Nevelsk, Sakhalin Region
1. Financing the Construction of Residential Housing, Social Facilities and Engineering Infrastructure.
In line with the Register of Financing, approved by the Minister of Regional Development on August 22, 2008, for the construction in 2007-2010 of facilities in the Sakhalin Region to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake that occurred on August 2, 2007 in the Nevelsk Municipal District (hereinafter the Register), the Sakhalin Region was allocated 9,667.61 million roubles from the federal budget, including 8,833.31 million roubles for new construction.
In the period of 2007-2008, the federal budget earmarked a total of 7,747.48 million roubles to rebuild facilities that were affected by the earthquake. By April 1, 2009, 7,747.48 million roubles (100%) was made available from the federal budget for the construction, including 3,000 million roubles in 2007, and 4,447.48 million in 2008. In 2007, the administration of the Sakhalin Region allocated 17 million roubles from its reserve fund, and another 200 million roubles in 2008. Municipal districts received money through budget-to-budget transfers. In 2008, the Sakhalin Region's budget provided an additional 30.7 million roubles for the purpose.
In 2009, the region provided 1,050 million roubles to these ends. The Reserve Fund additionally furnished 74.98 million roubles.
Subsidies totalling 7,695.89 million roubles were made available through budget-to-budget transfers.
2. Financial aid to victims in the Nevelsk District.
Government Executive Order No. 1281-r of September 27, 2007 allocated 135.78 million roubles for the Sakhalin Region administration to render financial aid to victims who lost their property (20,000 roubles per family to compensate for partly lost property and 50,000 roubles per family to compensate for totally lost property).
Government Executive Order No. 1453-r of October 20, 2007 allocated 56.04 million for the above purposes.
Government Executive Order No. 411-r of March 29, 2008 earmarked a further 10.06 million roubles.
A total of 6,772 people were included on the list, qualifying for 201.88 million roubles in aid, including 3,622 people qualifying for 44.62 million roubles in compensation for partly lost property (up to 20,000 roubles) and 3,150 people qualifying for 157.26 million in compensation for totally lost property (up to 50,000 roubles).
By November 21, 2008, 6,593 people from among those listed in the Nevelsk District had received financial aid totalling 197.32 million roubles.
In the 1st quarter of 2009, Government Executive Order No. 9-r of January 9, 2009 allocated 3.68 million roubles from the Reserve Fund of the Russian Government for the Sakhalin Region administration to render financial aid to victims who lost their property as established by court rulings.
3. State housing certificates
By July 1, 2009, pursuant to Government Executive Orders No. 1297-r of September 28, 2007, No. 1452-r of October 20, 2007, No. 1120-r of August 4, 2008, and No. 31895-r of December 20, 2008, a total of 2,056 state housing certificates were allocated to the Sakhalin Region administration for earthquake victims who lost their housing, and 1,907 certificates were issued.
The Sakhalin Region Construction Department accepted 1,796 certificates for redeeming, and redeemed 1,700 of them to a sum of 3,222.1 million roubles.
4. Housing construction
In line with the Register of Financing, approved by the Minister of Regional Development on August 22, 2008, for the construction of facilities in the Sakhalin Region in 2007-2010 to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake that occurred on August 2, 2007 in the Nevelsk Municipal District, it is necessary to build 1,837 flats with a total floorspace of 83,800 square metres.
As of July 1, 2009, 1,587 flats are required, according to the list of families.
By the target date, 99 residential blocks (1,537 flats) had been commissioned.
By June 22, 2009, all commissioned blocks of flats were connected to heat, water, gas and electricity supply networks.
5. Salvage, rescue and accident recovery work
To eliminate the consequences of the earthquake, the Fuel, Energy, Housing and Utilities Department together with the municipal district combined efforts in the following areas: salvage and rescue, accident recovery, and rehabilitation and preparation of electricity, heat and water supply systems for the next heating season.
In 2007, 70 structurally unsafe houses and 26 social facilities were demolished, and the rubble removed.
The Government's Reserve Fund allocated 207.7 million roubles as part payment for salvage and rescue work.
To additionally pay for demolition work, as stipulated by agreements with contractors, amendments to the Sakhalin Region's 2008 budget provided for 39.4 million more roubles.
In 2008, the Nevelsk administration prepared estimates for the demolition of the remaining 78 municipal residential buildings and concluded municipal contracts worth 226 million roubles (financed from the regional budget).
By June 1, 2009, 63 residential buildings had been demolished, while the remaining 15 were still occupied because construction of new housing in the village of Troitskoye was unfinished and people could not move there.
Implementation of the Special Federal Programme On Improving the Earthquake Resistance of Residential Buildings, Basic Facilities and Essential Services in Seismic Areas of the Russian Federation in 2009-2013
Government Resolution No. 365 of April 23, 2009 approved the special federal programme On Improving the Earthquake Resistance of Residential Buildings, Basic Facilities and Essential Services in Seismic Areas of the Russian Federation in 2009-2013 (further, the Programme).
The purpose of the Programme is to create conditions for a steady financing of the housing stock, basic facilities and essential services in seismic areas of the Russian Federation; to ensure an acceptable level of earthquake safety in seismic areas of the Russian Federation; and to diminish possible economic and environmental damage from seismic effects.
Earthquake resistance of facilities will be ensured by reinforcing the supporting elements of buildings and structures or constructing new facilities to replace existing ones in cases where seismic reinforcement is economically unjustified.
The Programme provides for seismic reinforcement in 27 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, including nine regions in the Far Eastern Federal District (Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)); Kamchatka, Khabarovsk and Primorye territories; Magadan, Sakhalin, Amur and Jewish Autonomous regions; and Chukotka Autonomous Area).
The volume of financing for 2009-2013 will total 71.6 billion roubles, including 48 billion roubles from the federal budget.
Implementation of Sollers project in the Far East
The Sollers project to build an auto plant in the Far East provides for the establishment in the Primorye Territory of a fully integrated car plant with a total capacity of 15,000 units of a full line of Japanese ISUZU trucks (capable of carrying between 1.5 tonnes and 25 tonnes); Korean sport utility vehicles SsangYong; and special vehicles Fiat Ducato, designed to cater to population needs (fixed-route taxis) and to serve community and consumer facilities and housing and utilities infrastructure.
Production plans presuppose the phased establishment of a full production cycle, including vehicle welding, painting and assembly. Also, the project provides for an extensive use of locally produced components: 70% for Fiat Ducato vehicles (to be reached by stamping and otherwise), 40% for ISUZU trucks (by local manufacture of chassis superstructures), and no less than 30% for SsangYong SUVs.
Another point to make is that to adapt vehicles to the complex local conditions of the Far East, Sollers has designed for the Far Eastern plant new models which previously were not produced in European Russia: ISUZU all-wheel drive trucks with wheel arrangement 6X6, and special models of Fiat Ducato vehicles with reinforced body and increased ground clearance.
Total investments in the project, including costs of vehicle and component production, will amount to 5.1 billion roubles. The number of new jobs in vehicle assembly will be 700 and in components manufacture, 300. Additional jobs will also be created in Primorye by small- and medium-sized businesses producing superstructures and equipment for special models.
The site chosen for the project is the Dalzavod shipbuilding yard in Vladivostok, which has free space and the necessary logistic infrastructure for production organisation. The first stage will see assembly production launched, accompanied by the re-engineering and upgrading of industrial premises for welding and painting stages that are to follow.
In keeping with the financial schedule, it is planned to complete all pre-production work by the end of 2009, and start the assembly of first shipments in February 2010.
Affordability of air travel for passengers from the Far East to European Russia and back
To make air travel more affordable for passengers from the Far East to European Russia and back, the Government has approved the Rules for Granting Subsidies in 2009 to Air Transport Organisations (further the Rules).
Under these Rules, in the period from May 15 to September 15, 2009, air carriers will offer special reduced fares for citizens of the Russian Federation aged up to 23 years inclusive and over the age of 60.
According to information available by July 20, 2009, 134,072 cut-price air tickets for travel from the Far East to European Russia and back had been sold for a total sum of 1 billion roubles.
All in all, 1.7 billion roubles was budgeted for 2009 to make air travel more affordable.