On the agenda: draft federal laws and budget allocations.
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Good afternoon, colleagues.
Government meeting
Let’s begin with the important issue of developing a comprehensive support system for people with disabilities of any age, including children with health restrictions. This is the most vulnerable category of Russian citizens who need our care and support. More than 11 million Russians currently have a disability, including more than 700,000 children. The President particularly stressed that we must create ample opportunities for them to fulfil their potential. It was for this purpose that the Government developed a concept of a rehabilitation and adaptation system for the disabled, including children. This system was designed to run for the next three years, in two stages. First of all, we must ensure that all services for people with disabilities are accessible, good quality, effective and safe. Support for people with health restrictions must not just exist on paper. We must be extremely attentive to their needs, which include not only treatment or employment, but opportunities to study and learn a new profession. They include building an accessible environment so that a disabled person has no problems using public transport or doing sports.
We will continue to prioritise support for families with children less than three years old. The sooner such children are able to obtain high-quality medical, social and psychological services, the more effective their treatment will be. And children will find it easier to adapt among their peers.
Next year, in order to help children over three years old, we are launching a pilot project in the Sverdlovsk and Tyumen regions under the Accessible Environment state programme. The 2022 federal budget stipulates about 300 million roubles for rehabilitating young children with health restrictions using electronic certificates. These certificates will make it possible to pay for their treatment at specialised clinics and to finance accommodation and eating expenses for patients and their parents or caregivers.
We have been subsidising regional programmes to rehabilitate disabled persons for over two years. The budget provides over 550 million roubles for these purposes. More and more Russian regions are voicing their readiness to launch these programmes under co-financing plans. In all, 68 regions are ready to join in, but these programmes should be implemented all across the country.
It is important that people with disabilities obtain state support in areas where they live. It is necessary to set up municipal centres within walking distance of their homes. Disabled persons living in rural or remote areas should be able to use mobile rehabilitation services.
The creation of a system of effective information support using an integral digital platform is another aspect. This system will allow people with disabilities to obtain the required online information regarding benefits, treatment options, educational and employment services. This platform will become part of the social treasury system.
We have a lot of work to do. As a result, all adults and children with health impairments should be able to obtain individual rehabilitation programmes in full volume. This is a key result of implementing the concept drafted by the Government.
The Government also continues to support large families. On the President’s initiative, they receive lump-sum payments of up to 450,000 roubles for repaying their housing/flat purchase loans either completely or in part.
This
state assistance became popular in the first few months after this programme was
launched. Over 250,000 families have used the programme to date. However,
applicants had to contact the bank either online or offline, so as to receive payments.
We have already streamlined the mechanism for providing this support. It is
possible to obtain such assistance from home using the Government Services
website. People can fill in applications, append electronic documents and
submit them anytime they like. Of course, this is easier and faster. And, most
importantly, the process involves no health risks; this has particular
significance during the current pandemic.
The agenda of the current Government meeting is devoted to the comprehensive development of the Far East and the Arctic. The Far Eastern Hectare, an unprecedented mechanism that allows people to receive a plot of land free of charge and without red tape, has been active for over five years. A similar project – the Arctic Hectare – was launched this year.
These projects are aimed at creating the conditions that allow people to live a comfortable life, build a house, run a subsidiary plot and establish a business. Almost 100,000 people have taken part in this project, having received a total of over 67,000 hectares of land.
We met with many of them during our working trip to the Far East. We discussed in detail all the benefits, and, most importantly, the shortfalls of the project. People are still facing problems when developing their hectares, especially building houses on them. They are often denied permits over formalities, due to the absence of endorsed town planning documents.
To rid people of this red tape, the authorities have prepared amendments to the federal law. Now the owners of hectares can start building their houses even without the approval of land use and construction rules.
Nor do they have to submit a declaration to prove that the land is being used for its intended purpose three years after receiving it. Applications for a hectare and other documents are accepted by the public services portal.
In addition, the authorised bodies will now start forming plots of land by using the federal information system To the Far East. This will considerably simplify the procedures for granting land to people and putting it into productive use.
One more legislative amendment makes it easier for foreigners to receive a residence permit in the Russian Federation. It concerns those who reached the finals or won a contest on the Russia – Land of Opportunity platform that was initiated by the President. This open platform allows talented, educated and active people to use their professional potential in all areas, be it a business project or a public initiative. Now foreign specialists, entrepreneurs and volunteers who meet these requirements can receive a residence permit in a simplified way. They will not have to get a temporary residence permit.
This important measure will create even better conditions for attracting specialists in different areas to our country.
