Agenda: Updating the ambulance and school bus fleet in the regions; measures for priority development of the IT industry; one-time benefits for military personnel.
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks
Yury Borisov’s report on updating the fleet of service vehicles in the Russian regions
Maksut Shadayev’s report on measures for priority development of the IT industry
Excerpts from the transcript:
Meeting with deputy prime ministers
Mikhail Mishustin: Good afternoon, colleagues.
Today we will discuss the progress of several presidential instructions. Let’s start with updating the fleet of service vehicles in the regions.
Before the end of this year, the regions are to receive at least 1,600 ambulances and over 4,000 school buses. The Government has allocated almost 15.5 billion roubles for this purpose. We have reached necessary decisions to expedite the procurement.
Mr Borisov, you are in charge of this matter. Can you tell us about the progress?
Yury Borisov: Mr Mishustin, colleagues.
We are working to fulfil this presidential instruction in full. The Healthcare Ministry and the Education Ministry have analysed the regions’ demand for this type of vehicle based on the data provided by regional officials.
Vehicles for all the regions will be purchased from the only highly localised manufacturers, which are car manufacturers GAZ, UAZ and PAZ. The Ministry of Industry and Trade followed a similar procurement procedure in 2016–2020. The procedure proved effective for updating the fleet in 85 regions, specifically, for providing 10,010 ambulance vehicles and 11,541 school buses.
Based on the analysis of the demand for new vehicles, the Healthcare Ministry and the Education Ministry prepared proposals on distributing school buses and ambulance vehicles between the regions, for consideration by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Additionally, the Government considers it necessary that the Ministry of Industry and Trade make a full advance payment to the manufacturers in accord with the state procurement contract. This measure will help the contractors to avoid borrowing funds to purchase car parts and equipment and will also cover shipping fees. In other words, this full advance payment under the state contract will guarantee that this presidential instruction is fulfilled.
The car manufacturers that were identified by the Ministry of Industry and Trade as the sole contractors began the production and delivery of the vehicles before the Government procurement acts were signed, to expedite this year’s delivery of the vehicles to the regions. Official dealers have supplied over 900 ambulance vehicles and 2,000 school buses to the regions as of today. The Ministry of Industry and Trade expects that the delivery will be complete by 15 December, 2021.
Mikhail Mishustin: Thank you, Mr Borisov. Please engage actively with manufacturers and regions to ensure there are no supply disruptions. All plans for the current year should be fulfilled. We will continue this work in the future.
In total, following the President’s instruction, at least 16,000 buses and 5,000 ambulances should be delivered to the regions in the next four years. When drafting the three-year federal budget, we will allocate the necessary funds for this. We will allocate 10 billion rubles annually for the purchase of school buses and six billion rubles for ambulances.
I would also like to discuss how another instruction of the President is being executed.
At his initiative, the Government is implementing a set of measures for the advanced development of the IT industry. Last year, the first package of measures to support IT companies was approved. Those who are engaged in the development, sale and introduction of software enjoyed reduced insurance premiums and a lower income tax. In addition, transactions for the exercise of rights to use software products that are included in the Russian software register are exempted from VAT.
All this made it possible to create comfortable tax conditions in our country for the development of the software business and opened up additional opportunities to develop new products and attracting specialists.
There are already good results. Since the approval of the new benefits, the number of accredited Russian IT companies has grown by almost 3,000.The number of software products included in the domestic software register has increased by about 4,500.
And the Government will continue to create additional incentives for the IT sector.
Mr Shadayev (addressing Maksut Shadayev), please report on how the second package of support measures is being prepared.
Maksut Shadayev: Dear Mr Mishustin, dear colleagues,
As you said, Mr Mishustin, a lot has been done to stimulate the development of the Russian information technology industry. Today we are facing the task of ensuring the further digital transformation of enterprises in various economic sectors with the help of Russian solutions, Russian developments, removing the last remaining barriers for this.
Now when the pandemic has given such a powerful impetus to the development of digital services, it is especially important for us not to lose the momentum gained, but to further accelerate the digitalisation process.
The Ministry of Digital Development has prepared an action plan, which is primarily aimed at the large-scale implementation of Russian IT solutions in the social sphere and the economy. This programme was developed with the participation of IT companies, relevant public organisations and the United Russia party.
Briefly about the main points of the programme, from the point of view of building e-government, we have positive dynamics. It is important not to loosen grip and to implement all the plans for public services digitalisation. All mass public services should be provided by the end of next year without the need for face-to-face contact with the authorities, as quickly as possible and sometimes, where possible, in a proactive mode.
As for education, this year we are completing an ambitious project to provide schools with high-speed internet access. Therefore, in the near future, we need to pay special attention to the creation of Wi-Fi networks in schools so that the internet can be used in every classroom, as well as to continue equipping classrooms with modern domestic digital multimedia equipment so that teachers can demonstrate electronic educational content.
It is very important to provide all teachers with modern digital tablets with access to electronic gradebooks and digital educational content by 2024.
Starting next year, high school students will have the opportunity for an in-depth study of modern programming languages for free for two years, either online or in specialised training and education centres. And university students will be able to acquire additionally not only digital skills, but also digital jobs in addition to their main one.
In healthcare, we plan to focus in particular on the development of digital services. Very soon users should gain access to electronic medical prescriptions, test results, and medical research – to the entire medical record in general – in their personal account on the government services website.
In order to organise constant observation of the chronically ill, we plan to widely introduce telemedical services and technologies, including Russian-made digital medical sensors for health monitoring.
Due to the accelerated implementation of domestic internet solutions in the spheres of ecology, weather monitoring, housing and communal services and fire safety, it is planned to provide a prompt response to emerging incidents. This will make it possible to avoid grave consequences and prevent major accidents and emergencies.
It is planned to introduce standards of online data and document exchange in businesses, making it possible in the near future to abandon the obligatory storage of paper primary documents for submission to the control authorities.
Mr Mishustin, the implementation of this plan will give a strong boost to the development of our industry. Last week we discussed the programme with the leaders of the electoral list and the leadership of the United Russia party. I must say that they participated in the development of the programme from the very beginning. Last week we discussed the final touches and made important suggestions. In general, our programme to support the IT industry, the second package of measures, is almost ready. It has been agreed with all interested departments. Please support its approval.
Mikail Mishustin: Thank you, Mr Shadayev.
The second package must be as effective as the first. It is very important to involve the industry experts in its development. In such matters, it is necessary to hear the opinions of companies, for which these support measures are being created. They know very well which solutions they need to develop.
Another important topic: today, in line with the president’s instructions, lump sum payments to military personnel, including cadets of military schools and law enforcement officers, are starting. The sum is the same for everyone: 15,000 roubles. As the President emphasised, regardless of titles and positions.
The government has promptly worked out all the decisions so that the president’s initiative that was mentioned at the United Party congress can be implemented as quickly as possible
As Anton Siluanov reported, the Ministry of Finance has executed all the necessary limitations. So I would like to thank him and all the colleagues from the Ministry of Finance for having done everything very quickly and effectively.
I would like to ask heads of ministries and agencies to organise this work so that everyone entitled to presidential payments get them on time. Our military personnel are performing their duties excellently. They are protecting Russia and all its citizens. This responsible labour deserves the utmost respect and support.
