Agenda: partially writing off regional budget loan debt, increasing investment quotas for the construction of fishing vessels in the Far East, and supporting regions affected by flooding.
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Government meeting
Government meeting
Government meeting
Good afternoon, colleagues.
Before we move on to the agenda, I would like to highlight several decisions that have been made.
The Government continues to support regional economic development and foster an attractive investment climate. Support is being provided to regions working to modernise public utilities, relocate residents from unsafe housing, expand industrial support measures, and participate in national projects, including projects aimed at achieving technological leadership. This is part of a systematic, ongoing effort being carried out in line with the President’s instructions.
One of the federal support instruments is the write-off of two-thirds of regional budget loan debt. Last year, around 60 regions of the Russian Federation took advantage of this mechanism, reducing their debt burden by approximately 230 billion roubles. This year, nearly 50 regions have already benefited, with debt relief exceeding 155 billion roubles.
Today, it is proposed to extend this measure to six additional regions: Arkhangelsk, Kaluga, Lipetsk, Orenburg, Smolensk, and Tula. Confirmation has been received regarding the intended use of the released funds. As a result, these regions will be able to save more than 19 billion roubles.
Similar decisions will continue to be made in response to requests from regional authorities, provided that the released funds are used to improve living and working conditions locally and to advance priority projects and development goals.
Another document concerns two sectors – fishing and shipbuilding.
We are continuing the renewal of the fishing fleet under the second stage of the investment quota programme, which grants fishing rights to companies investing in the construction of new vessels. Small coastal fishing enterprises harvest cod, flounder, navaga, halibut, and a range of other aquatic bioresources, among other species, but their revenues are considerably lower.
The President has emphasised that quotas allocated “for the keel” must be distributed fairly, and that the entire process should be transparent and systematically organised.
Investors continue to show interest in building large-capacity vessels, while the construction of smaller vessels still requires additional support.
To encourage investment in this area, the Government will increase investment quotas for the construction of medium- and small-sized fishing vessels for the Far East.
We expect this measure to accelerate fleet renewal, help preserve jobs in the regions, and, most importantly, improve the supply and variety of fish products available to our citizens.
Now, let us move on to the Government meeting agenda.
We will discuss support measures for regions that have experienced severe flooding in recent years, resulting in emergency situations. These are the regions where homes, infrastructure, and public utilities were damaged.
The President specifically emphasised the importance of providing assistance in such cases.
This concerns the Omsk and Orenburg regions, as well as the Trans-Baikal Territory. Funding had previously been allocated to cover housing restoration and repair compensation. It is now necessary to restore road sections damaged by flooding, including regional, intermunicipal, and local roads that residents rely on every day.
Approximately 1.8 billion roubles will be allocated for these purposes.
Transport infrastructure has a major impact on the economy, as well as on the comfort and safety of citizens. Its maintenance requires constant attention.
I would like to ask the Ministry of Transport to ensure the timely allocation of funds and to oversee the road repair work so that it fully complies with all regulatory standards.
