Transcript:
Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Golubev, we have taken part in a pleasant event today. It is always good to see the production of new equipment and to receive a new order, because it brings in money and pays salaries to our people – in general everything they need. This is why, here at the electric locomotive plant, we can talk about what has been done recently to increase the number of jobs throughout the Rostov Region. I’m referring not only to this large plant that employs 11,000 people, but some other places as well. Are you carrying out any programmes to this end? In general, what are the employment dynamics in your region?
Vasily Golubev: Mr Medvedev, you have touched upon an important issue for our region. We are carrying out a long-term employment programme. In fact we have just upgraded it for the next period, taking into account the plans for the region’s development until 2020. We have determined six economic growth points in our region. As a rule they are located in our major cities – Volgodonsk, Novocherkassk, the north of the region, the territory of miners and Rostov proper, or the Greater Rostov agglomeration, where we are now implementing projects on the development of new production lines.
Dmitry Medvedev: Speaking about Novocherkassk and new production lines here, do you produce only electric locomotives, or something else as well? Because the city depends to a large extent on this production – the plant is very powerful. What else do you have here?
Vasily Golubev: Novocherkassk is an economic and industrial city. The electric locomotive industry is very well developed thanks to the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant. Novocherkassk is a city where traditionally there are a lot of students. Small and medium-sized business has been developing very intensively. We actively work together with the business community, which is a reserve that we have not used to the full. We have some work to do.
There is the Novocherkassk Synthetic Products Plant which is not operating today. The plant produces synthetic products and it is a large facility…
Dmitry Medvedev: Is it also in Novocherkassk?
Vasily Golubev: Yes, it is – a large facility of over a hundred hectares. It could provide new grounds for the development of new industries…
Dmitry Medvedev: You want to bring new industries there?
Vasily Golubev: Yes, we are bringing industries and investors there. We can’t afford to lose such potential.
Novocherkassk’s suburbs are traditionally an actively developing area mostly used for agriculture, like the entire region. Agro-industrial development is very important for us as the region is a major agro-industrial complex. Opening new processing capacity creates new jobs. We expect that we will implement a number of major projects in the near future. Today the region’s major projects include the governor’s hundred as we call it, which includes nearly 60 enterprises. The implementation of these projects began on the principle of public-private partnership. We take on responsibility for issues related to utilities, and the investor is responsible for production. These are diverse spheres, with agriculture playing an important role. We have a niche that we must fill – the processing industry. We are producing a lot but are not generating added value.
Dmitry Medvedev: Yes, this is the right thing to do. You should invest in the processing industry and it will bring you more revenues. And what about the general figures on employment?
Vasily Golubev: We have good employment figures. The registered unemployment rate is 0.8% but there are seasonal trends – this is what affects…We have finished harvesting and some people now don’t have jobs. The task of the employment centre is to create the conditions to place people in jobs. This is one of our major goals – to create the conditions for stabilising the labour market so that our people have jobs throughout the whole year.
Dmitry Medvedev: I see. Indeed, this is a very important issue. It is also vital to provide people with social facilities once they get jobs. I’m referring to kindergartens in part. I’d like you to continue paying attention to this issue.
Vasily Golubev: Yes. After your recent teleconference we looked at this issue again to see what directions to pursue to resolve it… This is a big headache for us – about 48,000 children are waiting for a place in kindergartens. We have set ourselves the task of providing all children between the ages of three and seven with places in kindergartens. There are about 17,900 children between these ages.
Our next direction is to build more premises for kindergartens, restore former kindergarten facilities that are now being used for other purposes and use part of the space in ungraded schools for kindergartens as well.
Dmitry Medvedev: In schools.
Vasily Golubev: …in rural areas. We can use new construction capacities and reserve first floors for kindergartens. Of course, family kindergartens…
Dmitry Medvedev: This is also a promising direction.
Vasily Golubev: We have good reserves that may open up new opportunities… In general, this is a difficult but feasible task.
Dmitry Medvedev: But 48,000 is a high number.
Vasily Golubev: It is a high number.
Dmitry Medevedv: The problem has been neglected for a long time.
Vasily Golubev: Yes. We add 5,000 places every year, and this year we will have about 5,000 new places. The demographic trends are positive in our region and we must keep up with them.
Dmitry Medvedev: That’s good, but you must keep up with it because 48,000 – almost 50,000 – is too many. Okay, we’ll deal with this issue and maybe take some decisions at the federal level if need be.
Vasily Golubev: Thank you.
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During his working visit to the Rostov Region, Dmitry Medvedev visits the memorial to victims of the June 2, 1962 shooting at the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant
On June 2, 1962, the plant workers had gathered for a rally in front of Novocherkassk’s City Hall demanding salary increases. Soviet army troops opened fire on the demonstrators. According to official information, 26 people were killed, and 58 were injured.
While visiting the site, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich laid wine-coloured roses at the monument, Stones on the Blood.
They also laid roses at the monument to Ataman Earl Matvei Pavlov.