Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks
Alexander Novak’s report on gas distribution in the Russian regions
Meeting with deputy prime ministers
Excerpts from the transcripts:
Mikhail Mishustin: Good afternoon, colleagues.
I congratulate everyone on Constitution Day. This is Russia’s main legal document that enshrines all the rights and guarantees of our citizens, including social guarantees.
The President and the Government take the necessary decisions to comply with the constitutional guarantees. We are paying particular attention to families with low incomes. At the initiative of the head of state, monthly monetary benefits have been assigned for each child aged 3 to 7 years in eligible families.
We will allocate more than 3.3 billion roubles to the regions for these payments this year.
This is just one measure to support needy families. We are also creating a consistent system of assistance throughout the country for them, so parents of children of all ages, as well as expectant mothers, can use it. Starting 1 January, a single allowance will be introduced, which will combine the existing payments for children and pregnant women.
Ms Golikova (addressing Tatyana Golikova), I would like to ask you to personally supervise everything so it is ready for the launch of this support mechanism.
The development of agriculture is another issue.
The President focused especially on the need to support business activities in the Russian agricultural complex.
We are consistently addressing the implementation of these tasks. We are creating the most convenient conditions for businesses who are prepared to invest in food production. The Government has already taken a decision to subsidise investments in dozens of agricultural enterprises.
Let’s continue this work. We will allocate over 1.4 billion roubles for the creation and upgrade of facilities that process agricultural products. These funds will be used for projects in the Volgograd, Kaliningrad and Smolensk regions, including the deep processing of grain, fish, and the production of dry dairy products.
Such companies are an important part of the successful development of domestic agriculture, a reliable guarantee for improving Russia's food security and, of course, providing our citizens with high-quality food products. We will continue to support promising investment projects in the agriculture industry.
The Government continues to work on the gas distribution programme launched last year under the President’s decision. In general, about 800,000 Russians have decided to use the gas system extensions provided free to the property lines of their house plots.
Recently, under the President’s instructions, we adopted a resolution on the indefinite extension of this programme. And we will also extend it to schools, kindergartens, clinics, hospitals, and feldsher-obstetric stations.
Let’s talk in more detail today about what has already been done.
Mr Novak (addressing Alexander Novak), I would like to ask you to report on the current situation and, in general, on the progress of gas distribution in the Russian regions.
Alexander Novak: Mr Mishustin, colleagues.
As you have already said, work to complete the gas distribution system by 2030 continues. The programmes for expanding the gas distribution systems in the Russian regions up to 2025 have been signed.
By the end of this year, an additional 377 villages, about 70,000 households and flats, and 296 boiler houses will have direct access to gas. The President also set the goal to ensure that individual houses have access to gas, that is, extending gas systems to the property lines of people’s houses without cost to those living there.
To do this, the necessary regulatory base has been developed and adopted. In line with your instructions, Mr Mishustin, the work on gas access has been organised at of the Government Coordinating Centre. This national gas installation programme is being used by all regions, and federal headquarters’ meetings are held regularly. The regional headquarters are headed by the regional governors.
The single gas distribution operator, Gazprom Gazifikatsiya, has allocated 182 billion roubles to fund the works.
As you noted, Mr Mishustin, today about 800,000 applications from citizens have been processed, and 685,000 agreements signed, which is 3.2 times higher than the average in previous years.
Gas distribution pipes have been extended to the property lines in more than 430,000 households. At the same time, the installation of gas pipes is being carried out not only at individual request, but also without it, where it is economically viable. A technical connection for individual houses is also being created for those that have not submitted applications, but are planning to use gas in the future.
This system access has already been created for more than 600,000 households. A main pipe is laid near a property and can be promptly extended to the boundary of the plot upon receiving an application from the homeowner.
Significant construction capacity has been mobilised to implement this programme, and online services have been developed and implemented to simplify the application process. There is an integrated call centre with a tollfree federal number. More than 150,000 calls have been processed this year.
Social support measures for gas distribution have been introduced in 69 Russian regions. Certain categories of people are compensated for the costs of connecting their buildings or houses to gas. In accordance with the President’s instructions, it is recommended that the regions expand the support measures and increase the level of subsidies for the purchase of gas equipment and work within the property boundaries for certain privileged categories of citizens of up to 100,000 roubles per household. This applies to participants and disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War, other war veterans, members of the families of the deceased, disabled war veterans, families with many children, and low-income citizens, including low-income families with children, when these people file the required application.
In order fulfil this policy, assistance will be provided to Russian regions with limited budgetary resources in the form of co-financing for these connections.
Currently, the necessary legislative and regulatory acts are being adopted in the regions.
To fulfil the President’s instructions, Governmental Resolution No 2187 dated 30 November 2022 was adopted, it provides for the free connection of boiler houses that provide gas heat to schools, kindergartens, and medical institutions, including feldsher-obstetric stations and federal and municipal healthcare facilities.
This applies to villages with gas systems. The governmental resolution also extends the social gas installation programme indefinitely, which makes access possible for a larger number of people without time restrictions. This will also potentially provide gas access to more than 3,000 medical and education institutions across Russia in villages with gas systems.
Mikhail Mishustin: Thank you, Mr Novak.
Now it is important to maintain this momentum so there is gas in peoples’ homes and so they can see the actual results of our work. You and I have visited a number of regions, and you know how happy families are when the long-awaited gas arrives at their homes.
