Meeting on Economic Issues.
March 4, 2009
Gorky, Moscow Region
Совещание по экономическим вопросам.
4 марта 2009 года
Московская область, Горки
PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Colleagues!
Today, we will address the clarification of parameters for this years federal budget and priority budget expenditures which, of course, are most important for us right now.
You may recall that the main approaches to resolving this issue were determined at the meeting that took place on February 9 of this year. At that meeting, we agreed that several ministries and departments, along with the Ministry of Finance, will develop them in more detail, and the Cabinet will determine its overall position on this issue. That is what we will talk about again today.
What is currently most important for us? That which we have repeatedly discussed: the fulfilment of social obligations taken on by the government, even under the circumstance of lower budget revenues. In this regard, we must determine the types of the expenditures that will allow us to more effectively implement measures for supporting the financial system and real production. Meetings to discuss this topic have been held multiple times with the participation of the President, and on a Cabinet level; we are once again discussing this issue in order to have a consolidated position. And, of course, overall, such measures must create conditions for the stable development of our country in the medium term.
In a number of areas, the existing expenditures should not be decreased, and should perhaps even be augmented. We must determine, in a clear and reasoned way, where the budget expenditures will have the maximum effect in lessening existing problems, and we must make some kind of deposits, stocks for the future, meaning ones that will promote, in particular, maximum growth of internal demand for Russian-produced goods.
On February 20, at a special extended session of the State Council Presidium in Irkutsk, it was determined that we shall create a package of anti-crisis measures that must be not only implemented by the Cabinet but complemented as well.
What, in my view, is particularly important today? We must activate work in the residential construction sphere, stimulate the acquisition of Russian-made equipment, and reorganise companies in the military-industrial complex, while at the same time fulfilling all obligations in financing government orders. We must also create new stimuli for small and medium businesses. By the way, speaking of financing residential construction and infrastructure projects: despite the difficulty of this topic, I would like for the Cabinet to think about it and pay attention to it. I have just returned from a state visit, and for many European governments, this is their number one priority. They all spoke about the necessity of investing in housing and infrastructure projects, including for the purpose of maintaining jobs. We must also think about resource provision, and the organizational mechanisms for how we will proceed.
In this regard, it seems right to me that we should work with a cleaner scheme in the future, one which is clear not only to us but to the entire population of Russia. I suggest preparing some relevant proposals, and discussing them with the deputies of our Parliament, the State Duma. Ultimately, I envision this being a consolidated document which includes decisions made by the State Duma that approve a certain operational sequence and the implementation of those decisions in the form of amendments to the Law on the Federal Budget. This is the kind of plan of action, supported by a consolidated position on the part of all deputies, that I feel is very important today.
We must not be shy about our actions; on the contrary, we must work very hard to explain them. Our citizens must understand the activities of our Cabinet. I feel that this is very important.
Now, we will talk about our main activities in regard to social obligations. Some time ago, I was informed that in many regions, employment programs were not being carried out; that is, regional programs for employment co-financing were not formalised, I even specifically named several regions. I would like to find out whether the situation there has been rectified. If not, then we must take appropriate actions. This is the first issue.
Second. I would like for [Deputy Prime Minister] Alexander Dmitrievich Zhukov to also brief me on the state of affairs in the indexation of welfare benefits and pensions. I would also like to remind you that in one of my first decrees, I made a special commitment to provide apartments to veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
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воровской сходняк.
diammon65 1 year ago