Agenda: the main areas of the Government’s efforts to implement the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly; mitigating punishment for economic crimes; medical check-ups for children in the new regions; and renewing rehabilitation equipment at healthcare facilities.
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Government meeting
Good afternoon, colleagues.
Yesterday, the President outlined a step-by-step plan of operation in all the main areas for the Government, as well as for the concerned ministries and departments and their territorial divisions throughout the country.
I will say a few words about some of them, beginning with the social sphere.
This has to do with supporting the families of those who are taking part in the special military operation. The President pointed out that they must be treated with care and respect, and that their needs must be responded to immediately.
In particular, we must do our best to launch the operation of the dedicated state fund as quickly as possible for bringing targeted, personalised assistance to the families of fallen fighters, as well as veterans of the special military operation. The fund’s branches must open in every region of the country by the end of the year.
This is the task the President set to the Government yesterday. Ms Golikova (Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova), I would like to ask you to monitor its fulfilment.
We must also do our best to provide social guarantees to our defenders. All their payments, including service pay, and medical assistance must be provided to them in full and within the established timeframe.
Of course, much depends on the actions taken in the regions, including by local governments. I would like to tell the heads of the concerned departments that their territorial divisions must promptly respond to all and any signals to help our guys. We must organise our work so that every issue of concern to them is addressed quickly and, if you like, properly. We must establish feedback with the regions. I will be waiting for your proposals.
We will continue to assist families with children. The President has noted that the budgetary allocations for these purposes have been increased several times over. The maternity capital was indexed from 1 February and now exceeds 580,000 roubles for the first child and over 770,000 roubles for the second one, provided families have not received certificates for their first child.
It is important that Russian citizens in the four new regions, the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, be able to obtain maternity capital. This is retroactive in these regions, including all parents who had children starting in 2007, that is, when Russia launched this programme. The President also suggested raising the volume of social tax deductions for a child’s education expenses by over 100 percent, from the current 50,000 roubles to 110,000 roubles annually.
Education, treatment or medication purchase expenses will be covered by 120,000-150,000 rouble tax deductions. This should be available proactively. It is necessary to quickly draft the relevant documents, so families with children can obtain this support as soon as possible.
The further development of education is another significant area. We have already built or renovated hundreds of new schools in Russia’s regions. We need to continue building them under the approved projects. The federal budget provides the funding for this in full.
We have also started addressing this issue in the four new regions. Although the situation there remains complicated, we need to work proactively.
Today, school and university students are becoming more interested in research careers. We will expand the programme of housing certificates for young research majors in order to encourage students to choose research. It is important that we quickly find reserve assets for these purposes.
This is yet another step in modernising the education system for specialists and facilitating the country’s science and technological development. Many Russian economic sectors, including the defence industry and small and medium-sized businesses fulfilling orders for the Armed Forces, need skilled people. As per the President’s instructions, we will provide additional guarantees for people working in this responsible area. We need to draft a special rental-housing programme for defence industry employees as soon as possible, keeping in mind that they should pay much lower lease rates compared to the average market rates. New buildings like this will help attract young people to these production facilities.
There is also a demand for qualified workers in other sectors of the economy. The President has set the goal of training about one million workers in this category over the next five years for the electronic, robotics, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, and many other sectors that are critical to the country's development.
The federal Professionalism project, which has been working to update the entire secondary vocational education system since last year, is set to expand significantly. We have visited a number of these educational institutions together with our colleagues, and we have seen how young people's interest in studying at these institutions, including those set up under the new programme, is growing.
We must also return to our country's traditional system of training specialists at universities. I am asking that the existing legal framework be adjusted in a short time frame, working with the legislators. There is a lot of work to be done. This will provide our citizens with new opportunities for training and employment.
Colleagues,
The President has set a number of goals for us to create conditions for the robust development of the country, highlighting the fact that our economy and system of management have proven much stronger than it was thought to be in the West.
Another important fact is that the situation in the labour market has stabilised. Unemployment has fallen. In order to ensure a notable increase in real salaries in the country, the minimum wage will be subject to indexation as instructed by the President. In addition to the increase planned for 1 January 2024, there will be a further 10 percent increase, that is, 18.5 percent in total, to 19,242 roubles.
The President has clearly outlined the most important areas that will help our economy reach new frontiers.
First is infrastructure development, which is very much needed in the regions. Building logistics corridors. And modernising the housing and utilities sector.
Continuing the free gas distribution connection programme.
In order to support new and promising industrial projects, the President has instructed us to develop system-related measures, including tax benefits, and accordingly, to use them for the purchase of Russian high-tech equipment for the industries they are needed in. We also need to determine the list of this equipment, and the procedure for offering these benefits.
It will also require us to expand the regulatory framework for attracting investments in this area. As you heard, yesterday the President instructed us to consider possible tax benefits, as well as ways to encourage business to offer shares in the domestic stock market and attract buyers of such securities, including through tax incentives.
In general, these tools should help entrepreneurs quickly adapt to the current conditions.
People’s long-term savings can become a source of financing in the real sector. We need to develop a state programme for this as soon as possible. This will require us to work out private investment insurance mechanisms and a number of other tools.
Another thing, speaking of the regions, the President stressed the need to restore the economies of the four new Russian regions. It is necessary to revive the enterprises there, create jobs, and rebuild roads.
Other regions will not be left out. As soon as this year, they must be provided with funding for the implementation of national projects in 2024. The regions will be able to take out an interest-free treasury loan. The repayment due date is fixed for April next year. The priority goals for applying would be the modernisation of primary healthcare, as well as social infrastructure, integrated development of rural territories, relocating tenants from emergency housing and a number of other needed initiatives. Of course, the use of such an instrument should be strictly controlled, and construction must go without reducing quality.
This year, the amounts for budget loans for infrastructure projects have been increased. This includes the development of public utilities, transport and other facilities. At the President's initiative, we will allocate another 50 billion roubles for upgrades in public transport.
Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that all of the President's instructions must be implemented as quickly as possible. Dmitry Grigorenko will supervise at the Government Executive Office the implementation of all the measures that were laid out in the address.
Mr Grigorenko, I ask you to pay particular attention to all these issues.
Now, back to today's agenda. In his address to the Federal Assembly, the President also spoke about freedom of entrepreneurship and support for business initiatives that benefit the country. He suggested revising a number of provisions in criminal law relating to economic offences.
Today we are considering a bill that would make it possible to reduce the penalties for a number of crimes related to tax evasion and other compulsory payments. This would entail a change in the categories of gravity and a reduction in the prison term limits for such offences.
The document also provides for another very important change. Now, if a business pays its arrears, penalties and fines in full, the investigating authorities will not be allowed to initiate a criminal case, and they will have to close the ongoing investigation.
Such changes will further improve the business climate and increase interest in entrepreneurship in the country.
We will revise other criminal legislation sections in this area, as the President noted in his address to the Federal Assembly. The next issue deals with efforts to preserve and strengthen the health of children. This is a high-priority among the Government’s activities.
As per the President’s instructions, we will spend almost 1.5 billion roubles on medical exams for children in the new regions. At least 220,000 children will be able to undergo preventive medical exams and receive recommendations from doctors, including paediatricians.
Medical personnel have already started working in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. In 2023, we will send 35 medical teams with specialists to conduct full medical exams.
This will make it possible to quickly detect various health disorders in their early stages and to prescribe further treatment when necessary.
Mr Murashko, I would like to ask you to monitor how this is organised in the new Russian regions. The Government also continues to develop the medical rehabilitation system, and we are allocating the required funding for this purpose. This year, we have already transferred 8 billion roubles to regional healthcare institutions.
We will also set aside over 1.7 billion roubles for 43 federal-level medical institutions in the Russian regions. These allocations will help provide specialised clinics with modern equipment. It is necessary to use these allocations effectively and in full so our medical personnel will have everything they need for rehabilitating people after serious diseases, complicated surgery and injuries.
Thus, even more people will be able to undergo rehabilitation, including at outpatient clinics and day-wards. Patients will be able to overcome their health issues more quickly and get back to their normal lives.
Colleagues,
Before we start our discussion, I would like to whole-heartedly congratulate you on the upcoming holiday, Defender of the Fatherland Day. I would like to congratulate those who stand with Russia at all times, who are ready to fight for the Motherland, to care for its future and to fulfil their civic duty in any, even the most complicated, situation.
This day has special significance for all of us. Our defenders are now protecting our national interests and are risking their lives every day. We believe in all of them and in our victory.
Congratulations.
