02
Economics
RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES
BOOKMARKS www.en.rian.ru/analysis Find: ‘Inequality in prosperity’ about Russia’s
SECTION SPONSORED BY ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA, RUSSIA
economic stratification
www.russiaprofile.org Find: ‘Moscow Blog: Russia's Schizophrenia’
WWW.RBTH.RG.RU
by Ben Aris
Life Quality The Russian Government is Implementing Four Large-Scale Social-
Economic Programs to Improve Daily Life for Russians
Emphasizing
Results-Driven
Priorities
Projects
The village of Guriyskaya, strong). “But this is not just a
which would make an excellent change in the name. National
set for an ethnographic film projects deal with strategic
about the Kuban Cossacks, rather than current tasks in
had 26 agricultural teams set modern Russia. The center of
up in place of the dissolved the reforms has been shifted
collective farms. Only one to the social sphere – educa-
of these – Alabyevo – has tion, healthcare and housing,”
survived. he explained. “But national
Why does Russia Need
projects are not profile pro-
YELENA YAKOVLEVA
grams within individual de-
ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA partments, for which the boss-
MOSCOW
es allocate money to gain
popularity,” he added. Cha-
the National Projects?
When others were selling their dayev believes that “national
inherited collective farm equip- projects are a major common
ment to get new TV sets and cause, which by no means
coffee makers, Alabyevo was boils down to the allocation of
buying it. Now, 15 years after money by the state.”
the start of the reforms, the He thinks that national proj-
team’s field looks like a techni- ects can and should become
“Concentrating budget and that works directly with people cal crossword, with spare parts instruments for making
administrative resources - local GPs and family doctors
How national projects will improve life in Russia
of tractors and combines neat- money, and compares them
on improving the Russian whose consultations begin the ly laid out on groundsheets to the specific, goal-oriented
people’s quality of life is treatment of any disease - was over a vast clean area. measures to support the con-
a necessary and logical performing atrociously. Low Agricultural engineers are struction industry in Germany
development of the economic salaries and overload resulted cannibalizing old equipment in the 1950s and 1960s, which
course that we have been in a shortage of specialists. It to make new tractors and became the driver of its eco-
pursuing over the previous was decided to staff local clin- combines for the spring sow- nomic growth. Moreover, edu-
five years and will continue to ics with qualified doctors and ing. Harvests here, in the for- cation, healthcare, the agro-
pursue further. nurses, and their salaries were est foothills, are two to three industrial sector and housing
“It is a guarantee against raised dramatically. Within two
SERGEY SUBBOTIN_RIA NOVOSTI
times below the regional aver- construction are highly capi-
ROMAN SAPONKOV_RIA NOVOSTI
wasting the resources years municipal clinics re- VLADIMIR FEDORENKO_RIA NOVOSTI age, but without grain the talized industries, which bring
without tangible returns. It is ceived as much modern med- households that form the global companies huge prof-
the course of investing in the ical equipment as in the pre- foundation of the local econo- its. Therefore, it would be sen-
people, and hence in the future ceding ten years. my would be unable to feed sible to develop the new econ-
of Russia.” Stimulating the birth-rate and their pigs and cows. omy by using the benefits
Vladimir Putin care of mother and child was a The team also puts out fires in provided by construction,
separate and important area the village, cleans the roads, healthcare, education and
IRINA NEVINNAYA
of effort. “Childbirth certifi- shoots the jackals that fre- medical technologies.
ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA cates” or vouchers were is- quent woodsheds with pig- The term “projects” is not ac-
MOSCOW
sued to expectant mothers, Programs lets, and carries out an enor- cidental – it came to replace
who showed them at pre-natal mous number of social the word “programs,” which
Two years ago Russia and maternity clinics. Clinics EDUCATION HEALTH HOUSING functions. It does all this prac- was used in the 1990s. “The
launched four large-scale so- used these documents to An extra $41 per month for form Wage increases of $410 per Reducing the wear-and-tear of tically for free. In 2005, a poor word ‘project’ emphasizes
cial and economic programs claim extra funding from the masters and grants of $4100 month for GPs, and $205 per housing and public utilities from harvest threatened this rela- that it deals with controlling
that had been declared na- government. Early results are a year for advanced teachers; month for nurses; increase in 60% to 51%; increasing hous- tively successful team with the results rather than spend-
tional priorities: health care, already evident: in 2006, for grants of $2500 a year for stu- frequency of expensive surgery ing construction by 37%; a 7.6- bankruptcy. But it got a loan ing,” Chadayev explained. “It
education, housing and the dents; purchases of computer to 250,000 operations a year; fold increase in the number of from the regional credit coop- is also important that these
agro-industrial complex. The equipment for 2,500 schools purchase of 12,000 new ambu- mortgage credits. erative under the national projects are called ‘national’
1990s were a very difficult People survived by and 100 higher educational es- lances. project to develop the agro-in- rather than governmental.’
time in Russia. The economic
engaging in trade
tablishments. dustrial sector. Their goal is to create an infra-
crisis, the collapse of industry
and small business,
Alexei Chadayev, a Russian structure whereby citizens
and agriculture, the abuses of
as well as growing
political journalist and mem- cease to be passive recipients
privatization, serious mistakes Financing in 2006-2007 (in billions of dollars) ber of the Public Chamber, of benefits from the top and
made in the course of eco- potatoes on their tiny considers this project to be become active participants in
nomic and social reforms,
plots of land. Many
the most successful in Russia the process of building their
huge foreign debts that had to
emigrated to more
1.7 6.0 4.5 today. He has a television pro- own life,” Chadayev added.
be paid back - all these prob-
prosperous
gram about the national proj- Not everything is going
lems resulted in social decline
SOURCE: WWW.KP.RU
ects and has quite a few ob- smoothly. The majority of ex-
verging on catastrophe. countries servations on this subject. It is perts consider the housing
People survived by engaging his idea that the “national proj- project the worst. As before,
in trade and small business, bling in two years) outstripping gions that introduce new pro- Development of the agro- ects” are simply a euphemism few people can afford housing
as well as growing potatoes the first time in post-Soviet the growth of people’s in- grams and projects, encour- industrial complex for reforms (the word “reform” in Russia, while investment in
on their tiny plots of land. Many Russia, the death rate dropped comes. But there are signs age the best teachers and pay Today, 38 million people, or a is very unpopular in Russia, this project is pushing house
emigrated to more prosperous by 138,000 and in the first half that 2007 may mark a turning third of the population, lives in although the will for change in prices even higher, thus fuel-
countries. of 2007 by a further 70,000. point. the countryside. Unfortunately, many spheres continues to be ling inflation.
-
That was the legacy the pres- Thanks to a set of measures In 2002, for the first the quality of life there is signif-
ent administration inherited in Housing designed to stimulate the con-
time, clear and sim-
icantly below city standards.
2000. It was necessary to take Opinion surveys show that struction industry, the amount
the country out of the crisis about 60 percent of Russian
ple goals were set:
Some sectors of agriculture
of housing built has increased
and it took five years to create families need to improve their
people must have a
have been doing well in recent
by a third, compared with years. For example, Russia
RIA NOVOSTI
conditions to do so. housing conditions. The situa- 2006. The market promptly re- chance to work and has been a grain exporter for
The President’s annual Ad- tion is hardest for young peo- acted by stabilizing prices and
to earn as much
several years now. It sold 12
dress to the Federal Assem- ple. experts do not expect a sharp
bly in 2002 for the first time set The project pursues three
as they want so
million tons of grain last year.
growth.
clear and simple goals: peo- main goals: to provide target-
they could live in
However, the high-technology
sectors, such as livestock
ple must have a chance to ed assistance to tens of thou- Education Russia breeding, are still struggling.
work and to earn as much as sands of young families to en- For a country committed to in- Half of all food in Russian
they want so they would want able them to take out a novation-driven development, shops is imported. It was there-
to live in Russia and not to mortgage; to ensure massive a modern and high-quality ed- bonuses to talented young fore decided to allocate billions
leave it. construction of new housing ucation system is vital. The people. of rubles to subsidize low-inter-
It took three years to stabilize estates, and to overhaul de- Education National Project is At the same time the project est long-term credits for the
the economy sufficiently for crepit old houses. intended to meet that need. seeks to make education af- building and retooling of live-
the government to come to The project got off to a rocky The government provides in- fordable, and to level out the stock complexes.
grips with these tasks. start: in 2005-2006 housing centives to schools, colleges quality of education in large The second important area is
Why, of all things, were health- prices shot up (more than dou- and universities, and entire re- cities and in the rural areas. the development of produc-
care, housing, education and tion at private subsidiary plots
improvement of rural life cho- and farms, which currently ac-
sen as priorities? First, these count for half of all agricultural
are the spheres that go a long
National Projects Survey Results
output. Simultaneously, the
way to determining people’s development addresses a
quality of life and the way soci- range of social issues, such as
ety feels. There is yet another The Levada Centre conducted an opinion poll among 1,600 adults in the Russian Federa- job creation and increasing
reason. The turmoil of the pre- tion. The following are the answers to some of the questions alongside the results of ear- rural incomes.
vious 15 years had critical lier polls. The polls have a 3% margin of error. All the four priorities look to the
consequences: people’s future. The Ministry of Region-
health had deteriorated and Have you heard about national projects in edu- Will implementation of the national projects lead al Development is currently
the country had dropped cation, health care, housing and agriculture? to considerable improvements in education? working out a Long-Term
below 100th place in terms of Strategy of Housing Construc-
life expectancy. People moved tion for the period up to 2025.
from rural areas to cities to be The Ministry of Health and So-
able to feed their families. The cial Development has em-
countryside was becoming barked on a similar program.
deserted. The population has In the agricultural sector such
been shrinking since 1992 in a program already exists, and
spite of the inflow of immi- will span the period between
grants. 2008 and 2012.
No wonder Vladimir Putin has
Healthcare been speaking about the
The main aim of the Health continuity of economic and
National Project is to modern- social policy after the new
ize the healthcare system. president is elected in March
The part of the health service next year.
-
To advertise in this supplement
Will implementation of the national projects lead Will implementation of the national projects lead Will implementation of the national projects lead
to considerable improvements in health care? to improvements in the availability of housing? to considerable improvement in agriculture?
contact Julia Golikova
golikova@rg.ru
fax +1 (202) 330 5423
or Lois Segel,
International Sales Manager
segell@washpost.com
ph. +1 (212) 445 5853
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