Agenda: Implementation of the Presidential Executive Order on Measures to Support Large Families; adjustment of social payments; advance payment for state contracts; and subsidies for the construction of the Kamchatka territorial hospital.
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Government meeting
Good afternoon, colleagues,
This year has been declared the Year of the Family by the President’s decision. The President has signed an executive order that seals at the federal level the legal status and basic social guarantees for families with children. Now parents with three or more children will be entitled to equal support throughout the country, regardless of their region of residence. This support will be valid until the eldest child reaches 18 years of age or 23 years if he or she is studying full time at an educational institution.
Various measures of assistance are also envisaged, including allowances and payments on the birth and upbringing of children. Fathers and mothers will have the opportunity to receive professional training and visit museums and exhibitions free of charge. The Russian regions will also offer them additional benefits, for instance, medical care for children under six and discounts on housing and utility payments, to name a few.
Colleagues,
It is essential to promptly fulfil all provisions of the executive order. I would also like to ask you to closely monitor its implementation. Families, especially families with many children, must receive the utmost support from the state.
Before we move to the agenda, I would like to mention one more decision that has been adopted.
Over 40 different payments and allowances will be adjusted for inflation on February 1. The Government has drafted a relevant resolution. The federal budget endorsed by the President last year provides for the full implementation of all social commitments.
Assistance to families will be increased, primarily, the one-time payment on the birth of a child and a monthly allowance for the care of a child.
The maternity capital will grow as well. On the President’s instructions, it has been adjusted for inflation in the past few years. This year, it will amount to over 630,000 roubles for the first-born and almost 834,000 roubles for the second child and subsequent children.
Payments will also be increased for disabled people and veterans of the Great Patriotic War and combat operations, Heroes of Russia, Labour Heroes and other citizens.
About 20 million people will be entitled to these payments. Of course, they must receive these sums without any delay. Colleagues, I would like to ask you to closely monitor this in every region.
I would like to tell you about one more decision designed to ensure the timely implementation of federal budget-funded projects.
A resolution has been signed on continuing the practice of advance payments this year for state contracts on the supply of goods or services. The companies involved in such purchases will receive from 30 to 50 percent as an advanced payment. To encourage the regions to deliver these funds promptly, we have provided them with the same opportunities in terms of subsidies and other inter-budget transfers.
Special terms on government contracts for the capital construction of state property will remain valid in the four new regions of the Russian Federation – the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. The upper limit there is higher – up to 90 percent.
All these funds should be spent as efficiently as possible and only under the condition of treasury support.
This approach will allow us to reach the goals set by the President and the Government for the current year with simultaneous control over the spending of resources.
Government meeting
Now let’s turn to today’s agenda, the development of the Far East, in particular, the Kamchatka Territory.
The President highlighted the need to create a new environment in this territory, focusing naturally on people, their needs and requests.
The Government is consistently working to organise public spaces and build a relevant social infrastructure and healthcare centres there.
During our working visit to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, we had a detailed discussion with Governor Vladimir Solodov on the construction of a local hospital and the challenges involved in this. We agreed to analyse the real scope of this large project, estimate the required funding and find resources to complete the first stage of the hospital construction.
Earlier, a sum of over 6 billion roubles was already allocated for these purposes. Today, we will discuss the granting of an additional 2 billion roubles. These funds will be spent on putting into operation a diagnostic and treatment unit, and an inpatient ward with 175 beds, and also on a utilities network for them.
We hope that the adopted decision will make it possible to speed up the construction of this high-tech medical institution where residents of the region will be able to receive necessary treatment in proper, comfortable conditions, undergo tests using modern equipment and receive all essential medical services.
