Agenda: draft federal laws, budgetary allocations.
Government meeting
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Good afternoon, colleagues,
Before we start discussing the meeting’s agenda, I would just like to tell you about some recently adopted decisions.
This year is the Year of Science and Technology, and we are starting a large-scale project to build a network of world-class university campuses, as instructed by the President. The Government has approved the regulations for providing state support to this construction project. Over a period of the next four years, we will allocate around 36 billion roubles from the federal budget. We will be cooperating with regional officials and businesses under private-public partnerships and concession agreements. Private investment will help universities to develop. Companies will benefit from this sponsorship as well by being able to receive returns on their investment from their participation in managing the new infrastructure.
Many universities and regions will be competing for the right to have world-class campuses. They are already fully involved. During our working trips, we reviewed projects by the Novosibirsk State University and a project of a multi-university campus in Tomsk. Some 30 applications have been submitted so far.
Very soon, we will start on the first three projects. We plan on building at least 30 campuses within the next decade that will be able to accommodate over 150,000 people. These campuses will be more than just ordinary student towns and dormitories of large universities. We will create multi-purpose facilities with everything that students, faculty members and scientists need for living, working and studying. Talented young people will be able to conduct research and make discoveries. Campuses will become centres of scientific breakthroughs, education and innovation.
There are several items concerning our healthcare system on this meeting’s agenda. We continue to provide free medication and medical products to people eligible for benefits, and nutritional care to children with health restrictions. The monthly benefits for these categories of patients have been increased. We are about to allocate almost 1.7 billion roubles in additional funds to the regions specifically for this purpose. It is important to provide these funds promptly so that all the necessary medication can be purchased.
Our country continues to fight the coronavirus. Healthcare workers are dealing with difficult conditions trying to help patients in red zones, hospitals and outpatient clinics. The Government will continue supporting them, including by allocating over 46 billion roubles on special benefits for healthcare workers.
Today, we will also review a bill on establishing a state registry of agricultural land. This database will include information about the condition and use of farmland, about buildings located on these plots of land and other information essential for agricultural workers and companies.
This registry will essentially help determine whether specific land is suitable for farming. It will be a source of data for quick analysis of resources available for new projects in the agricultural sector, including food production capacities. The registry will be updated as a result of regular farmland monitoring. Access to this information must be free of charge.
