Agenda: Expanding the list of vital and essential medicines; Strategy for the Development of the State Statistics System and the Federal Service for State Statistics until 2030; results of the urban improvement campaign as part of the Housing and Urban Environment national project and plans for a new national project Infrastructure for Life
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks
Excerpts from the transcript:
The meeting with deputy prime ministers on current issues
The meeting with deputy prime ministers on current issues
The meeting with deputy prime ministers on current issues
Mikhail Mishustin: Good morning, colleagues,
The Government continues to implement the relevant state programmes aimed at boosting the availability of medicines for our people, primarily the vital and essential drugs, whose list is regularly updated.
Today, a decision has been made to add another 18 names to the list. The majority of these drugs are used to treat difficult and life-threatening diseases, such as certain types of cancer in adult patients. Others are used to support treatment in cases of chronic obstructive lung disease, severe asthma, and diabetes mellitus.
Additionally, a drug needed to combat malignant tumours in the bone marrow has been added to the list of 14 high-cost nosologies.
Let me stress that half of these drugs are produced in this country. Moreover, this work will continue as part of the New Health-Saving Technologies national project, with the aim of increasing the share of domestically produced vital and essential drugs to 90 percent before 2030 and achieving independence from the whims of foreign companies.
Let me inform you about another important decision.
The Government has approved the Strategy for the Development of the State Statistics System and the Federal Service for State Statistics for the next six years. This is a key document that establishes uniform terms for data collection and processing. We discussed these issues in detail at our strategic sessions.
The Strategy expands the list of indicators to be analysed and authorises the use of innovative technologies, including AI, to handle incoming data promptly.
These technologies are among the main tools for assessing ongoing processes in the economic sectors and for planning business activities. This includes business forecasts aimed at enhancing production efficiency, creating new jobs, and producing goods and services.
The document focuses on reducing the administrative burden on businesses by streamlining initial reporting.
It also addresses the need for strengthening personnel potential and training professionals in this sphere.
Mr Novak, you have worked on this with Maxim Reshetnikov and other colleagues. Please provide us with more details on how you plan to organise this work.
Alexander Novak: Thank you, Mr Mishustin.
The strategy for developing state statistics until 2030 has been formulated in accordance with global trends, in collaboration with all agencies, the expert community and businesses.
The key objectives of the strategy are to meet user needs through the adoption of quality standards, to provide operational statistical data in modern formats on a single platform, and to reduce the burden on businesses while strengthening the position of Russian statistics internationally.
The actions for statistics development will be implemented under the Data Economy national project. In total, 17 applied projects have been developed to implement the strategy, including the introduction of a single quality standard for all statistical subjects.
Currently, there are no unified data quality requirements in Russia. The creation of a unified data methodology and request management systems will make statistics in the country more understandable and user-friendly.
The strategy also aims to halve the reporting load on businesses, eliminate duplication in data collection and maximise the use of data collected by the state. We will also put in place modern digital technologies.
A digital analytics platform will serve as a single window for disseminating information, uniting all stages of the statistical process: planning, collection, processing and dissemination. Technological solutions will reduce the time required to produce statistical indicators by at least one and a half times.
Data will be presented to users in convenient formats, including through visualisation systems.
Another area that Mr Mishustin mentioned is increasing the appeal of the statistical service. We will form a core of highly qualified specialists in methodology, digitalisation and the adoption of artificial intelligence.
Mr Mishustin, the implementation of this strategy will enhance user satisfaction. Statistics in Russia will reach a new benchmark, becoming faster, better and more accessible. This, in turn, will lead to more balanced, accurate and effective decisions being made based on the data.
Mikhail Mishustin: Mr Novak, please prepare an action plan within three months for implementing the objectives of the strategy. It is crucial to establish a unified, modern digital infrastructure to ensure a more comprehensive and timely statistical overview.
On a separate note, I would like to highlight the improvements made in populated areas across all Russian regions as part of the Housing and Urban Environment national project.
Feedback from our citizens indicates that these initiatives are among the most recognisable.
A clean courtyard, a safe playground or sports facility, a beautiful and spacious waterfront or central square, and a cosy park or garden – these are the spaces people interact with daily. In many instances, these improvements are the result of collaborative efforts between local residents and authorities.
The implementation of the national project was completed last year. Mr Khusnullin presented me with a comprehensive report. Over six years, more than 40,000 residential areas were renovated, and over 30,000 public spaces were improved, many of them built almost entirely from scratch. Additionally, around 900 projects were completed thanks to grants awarded to winners of the nationwide competition for the best initiatives in creating a comfortable urban environment. These spaces now not only bring joy to local residents but have also become attractions for visitors from other regions.
Mr Khusnullin, this is a critical area of focus. For many people, the condition of their local communities plays a decisive role in purchasing a home or relocating. Please provide more details on the outcomes of this work: how it has impacted the quality of life in Russian cities and historical settlements. Additionally, share information about promising projects.
Marat Khusnullin: Mr Mishustin, colleagues.
One of the key factors in improving the quality of life for our citizens is the enhancement of local communities.
Modern, high-quality public spaces provide comfort, security and an appealing urban environment, which promotes tourism and small businesses.
Since 2019, this work has been carried out under the Development of Comfortable Urban Environment federal project, which was part of the Housing and Urban Environment national project. As you noted, this federal project became one of the most recognisable and widely supported initiatives last year.
We have already started implementing the new Infrastructure for Life national project, through which the improvement programme will continue, as directed by the President.
The plan includes improving 30,000 public spaces and implementing more than 1,600 projects that were winners of the nationwide competition.
Thanks to the systematic support from the President, your consistent attention to the development of public spaces, coordinated efforts of ministries and departments with regional authorities, as well as collaboration with investors, all the federal project’s target indicators have been met.
By the end of 2024, 8,000 areas had been improved, with a budget execution rate of 99,9 percent.
I would also like to highlight the growing engagement of citizens in the development of their communities. Last year, 17 million people from 1,500 municipalities took part in the nationwide voting initiative launched in 2021. That is a remarkable level of involvement, including contributions from 96,000 residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics and the Zaporozhye Region. In total, during the entire period of the nationwide voting, over 6,000 spaces selected by citizens have already been improved, with another 3,000 currently in progress.
I also want to underscore the outstanding work of the volunteer corps, which supports the voting process each year. During the most recent voting period, around 215,000 volunteers from across the country took part in this important initiative.
I would like to highlight the nationwide competition for the best projects aimed at creating a comfortable urban environment. Mr Mishustin, you are well acquainted with this initiative, having personally recognised the winners on numerous occasions at the nationwide forum on the development of small towns and historical settlements.
The competition has been held since 2018, with over 1,300 winners selected across 84 regions. In 2024 alone, 213 projects were completed. Over the course of the competition, some truly large projects have been implemented. These include the large-scale reconstruction of the Coast of Three Seas embankment, which has become a new landmark in the city of Taman, the Krasnodar Territory. Other notable achievements include the improvement of Yalta’s central square in Crimea, the transformation of the embankment and boulevard in Pokrovsk, Yakutia, and the improvement of the Step Beyond the Horizon city park in Beloretsk, the Republic of Bashkortostan. Gelendzhik has also seen significant improvements, earning praise from both tourists and residents alike.
The work being carried out is critically important because of its comprehensive impact. First, it is directly experienced by our citizens, who benefit from the new public spaces in their daily lives. Second, the economic benefits of these competitive projects continue to grow.
As a result of these efforts, over 23,000 jobs and 5,000 commercial facilities have been created across the regions.
The initiatives remain ongoing as part of the new national project, with 360 billion roubles allocated for the improvement of populated areas through 2030.
The successful implementation of these initiatives will contribute to achieving the national goals set by Vladimir Putin.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the financial support. All the regions have been eagerly awaiting these funds, and now, with resources secured until 2030, we have a clear plan of action. We will maximise these efforts, including leveraging extra-budgetary sources where possible.
Mr Mishustin, in conclusion, I want to thank you for your consistent personal attention to improvement initiatives. I also extend my gratitude to the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Economic Development, all involved ministries and agencies, and the regional leaders for their active and collaborative efforts.
I am confident that together we will achieve all our goals and enhance the quality of life for our citizens, providing them with comfortable and modern living conditions.
Mikhail Mishustin: Mr Khusnullin, I would like to extend my gratitude through you to everyone involved, including the organisers of the competition. I actively engage with its participants, graduates of the Arkhitektory.rf school, the DOM.RF team, and colleagues managing this programme. The first stage of this programme has now concluded, but we are moving forward into the second stage. We must continue systematic efforts to enhance our cities and communities, transforming their appearance and making them more modern and comfortable for residents. This next phase will be carried out under the Infrastructure for Life new national project, which has even more ambitious targets for the next six years. Together, we will move forward with this work.
