On the agenda: results of the Government’s report to the State Duma, financing rehabilitation equipment renewal in medical institutions, increasing the limit of funds for issuing preferential mortgage loans to IT specialists, extending the free economic zone regime to specific territories of Russian regions, and enhancing the social protection system for residents of the new regions.
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Government meeting
Good afternoon, colleagues.
The Government report for 2023 was presented at the State Duma this week. Naturally, it was preceded by extensive preparatory work. There were meetings between my deputies and ministers with relevant committees, and consultations were held with all parliamentary parties in the State Duma.
I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this process and to thank Vyacheslav Volodin for his personal input in enhancing the constructive interaction between the Cabinet of Ministers and Parliament.
Following the report, there was a comprehensive and candid exchange of views, primarily focusing on the implementation of the President’s instructions outlined in the Address to the Federal Assembly. We discussed extensively the measures taken by the Government to address challenges and fulfil the tasks set by the head of state in areas critical for improving people’s quality of life, as well as for the development of our economy and social sphere.
One of the subjects addressed in the report was the enhancement of drug accessibility for citizens, the upgrading of primary healthcare, and the renovation of our hospitals and clinics. We continue this work. Today, the Government has approved the allocation of over 1.5 billion roubles to equip medical rehabilitation departments in 49 federal centres. These funds will procure more than 600 units of various modern equipment, including specialised tools, aimed at facilitating the swift recovery. We will continue to develop medical rehabilitation for patients with diverse diagnoses nationwide.
Another vital topic we addressed in the State Duma was assisting citizens in resolving housing issues. As I said earlier, there are several preferential mortgage programmes available, including those tailored for information technology specialists. Over 50,000 people have already benefited from this opportunity.
The Government will raise the limits on IT mortgages by 200 billion roubles. A corresponding resolution has been drafted, which will enable at least 15,000 more IT specialists to get loans at favourable rates for purchasing houses, flats, or land plots for construction. Supporting them is a substantial component of our efforts to bolster the human resource potential of this critical industry.
Colleagues,
In the report to the State Duma, we addressed a multitude of other topics, spanning from the social protection of our citizens to investment attraction, support for businesses, tourism, and the transportation sector. And, of course, we also delved into discussions about budgetary matters and regional policies.
As I have previously mentioned, the Parliament serves as a vital hub for gathering feedback from our citizens and collecting proposals to improve legislation for the ongoing progress of our nation. The deputies are deeply engaged in various aspects of our citizens’ lives, in social and economic policies, as well as broader state affairs. Numerous initiatives were suggested, which will be thoroughly analysed and taken into account when developing future Government decisions.
Following the report, a list of directives will be compiled. I would like to ask Dmitry Grigorenko to oversee this process.
Now back to today’s agenda. We have a whole set of issues related to regional development.
In the past year, the preferential status of a free economic zone was extended to four Russian regions. Entrepreneurs in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, as well as in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, were granted these benefits. However, neighbouring regions also require additional support. To assist businesses and entrepreneurs in these areas, we are extending the free economic zone status to them as well. This expansion encompasses the Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk regions, among others. I addressed this issue during the Government’s report to the State Duma. Today, we will review two relevant draft laws.
Adjustments to the Tax Code and legislation on free economic zones are essential to simplify the attraction of private capital in industry, logistics, information technology, and other areas.
Entrepreneurs will be able to register their businesses or open branches in these territories. For a period of ten years, investors in these regions will be exempt from federal income taxes. Additionally, there will be discounts on payments to the regional budget. Moreover, these entrepreneurs, subject to the decision of the regional authorities, will be exempted from paying land taxes for three years. Furthermore, they will benefit from uniform reduced insurance premium rates. All customs procedures will be conducted in accordance with the special legal regime.
The implementation of investment projects will be overseen by the authorities of the Russian regions as they are most interested in creating favourable operating conditions for participants in free economic zones. We anticipate that these decisions will assist entrepreneurs in reducing costs, boosting production volumes of goods and services, creating new jobs, and ensuring that citizens in border regions have access to all necessary goods and services. As I mentioned in the State Duma, we will persist in implementing measures to support these regions.
Moving on to the next topic. The President emphasised the importance of ensuring that each new region has a social protection system in line with Russian standards. I elaborated on this matter extensively during my report to the State Duma, and we thoroughly discussed it during our previous strategic session.
We will examine a draft law to define the procedure for considering periods of military service and service equivalent to it under pension entitlements – during the calculation of the pension insurance record and subsequent pension allocation. From now on, the duration of service of military personnel, law enforcement officers, and personnel from other departments in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and Ukraine will be factored in when determining their eligibility for an insurance pension, on par with periods of service under Russian legislation.
We remain committed to implementing all planned measures for the social welfare of residents in these new regions, ensuring their integration within our nation as a single whole.
