04
Reforms
RUSSIA INDIA REPORT
BOOKMARKS Find story ‘Inequality in prosperity’ about Russia’s economic
IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA
stratification
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THE ECONOMIC TIMES SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2007
Find: ‘Moscow Blog: Russia's Schizophrenia’ by Ben Aris
www.russiaprofile.org
Priorities The Russian government is implementing a quartet of large-scale
The reforms that
social-economic programmes which are designed to improve people’s quality of life
can unify all the
the foundation has
people
In September 2005, the
rent projects. Its impact is un-
Kremlin announced a series
doubtedly appreciated in
of large scale “priority
Guriyskaya, whose harvests in
been laid...
national projects” – in
the forest foothills can be two
education, agriculture,
to three times below the re-
housing and health. Behind
gional average, and where
the idea was a desire to
livelihoods hinge on efficient
fundamentally reform
farming.
Russian social life, an aim
Russia’s “national projects”
which has been at least
are – to all intents and pur-
‘Concentrating budget and
son. The turmoil of the previ- EDUCATION
partially successful.
poses – what would in the
administrative resources on
ous 15 years had critical con-
How national projects will improve
For a country committed to in-
West be labelled major re-
improving the Russian
sequences: people’s health had novation-driven development, a YELENA YAKOVLEVA
forms. It can’t be called that
citizens’ quality of life is a
deteriorated and the country
life in Russia
modern and high-quality educa-
ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA
in Russia, however: for most
necessary and logical
had dropped below 100th tion system is vital. The Educa-
MOSCOW
citizens, the word “reform” is
development of the
place in terms of life ex- tion National Project is intend-
so closely connected to the
It was not so long ago that
economic course that we
pectancy. People moved from ed to meet that need. The gov-
privatisation of the early
the south Russian village of
have been pursuing over the
rural areas to cities to be able ernment provides incentives to
1990s that it has become al-
Guriyskaya boasted 26 sepa-
previous five years and will
to feed their families. The schools, colleges and universi-
most a swear word.
rate “agricultural brigades”,
pursue further.
countryside was becoming de- ties, and entire regions that in-
The impact of the phrase “na-
the post-Soviet successors to
‘It is a guarantee against
serted. The population has troduce new programmes and
tional project” has been care-
collective farms. Today, only
the frittering away of
been shrinking since 1992 in projects, encourages the best
fully considered.
one of these collectives re-
resources without tangible
spite of the inflow of mi- teachers and pays bonuses to
“Project” replaced “pro-
mains: the “Albayevo” unit. In
returns. It is the course of
grants. talented young people.
gramme”, also used in the
the early years following the
investing in man, and hence
At the same time the project
Nineties, with the intention of
establishment of these
in the future of Russia.’
HEALTHCARE seeks to make education af-
emphasising the control of re-
Vladimir Putin
The main aim of the Health Na-
VLADIMIR FEDORENKO_RIA NOVOSTI
ROMANSAPONKOV_RIA NOVOSTI brigades – after the agricul-
fordable, and to level out the
sults rather than spending.
tural reforms of the early
tional Project is to modernise the quality of education in large
“National” was preferred to
1990s – most teams sold off
healthcare system. The part of cities and in the rural areas.
“governmental”, with the aim
IRINA NEVINNAYA
their inherited collective farm
of creating active participants
ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA
the health service that works di-
equipment in exchange for
rather than passive recipients.
MOSCOW
rectly with people - local GPs and DEVELOPMENTOF THE
modern electrical items such
family doctors whose consulta- AGRO-INDUSTRIAL
Chadayev believes that na-
as TV sets, coffee makers and
tional projects can eventually
Two years ago the nation
tions begin the treatment of any
Programmes
COMPLEX
washing machines. Alabyevo
become an instrument for
launched four large-scale so-
disease - was performing atro- Today, 38 million people, a
was always the exception,
making money, in much the
cial and economic pro-
ciously. Low salaries and over-
EDUCATION HEALTH HOUSING
third of the population, live in
preferring to buy equipment
grammes that had been de-
load resulted in a shortage of
An extra $41 per month for form Wage rises of $410 per month for Reducing the wear-and-tear of
the countryside. But although
same way as specific, goal-ori-
rather than sell it.
clared national priorities:
such specialists. So it has been
masters and grants of $4100 a GPs, and $205 per month for housing and public utilities from
the quality of life there is way
ented measures implemented
Fifteen years on, and much of
health care, education, hous-
decided to staff local clinics with year for advanced teachers; nurses; increase in frequency of 60pc to 51pc; increasing housing below the city standards,
in the post-war German con-
this equipment has become
ing and the agro-industrial
qualified doctors and nurses, to grants of $2500 a year for pupils; expensive surgery to 250,000 op- construction by 37pc;a 7.6-fold in- some sectors of agriculture
struction industry led to ex-
part of a new and intriguing
complex. The 1990s were a
which end their salaries were purchases of computer equipment erations a year; purchase of crease in the number of mortgage have been doing well in recent
ceptional growth in the 1950s
very difficult period for Rus-
raised dramatically. Within two for 2,500 schools and 100 higher 12,000 new ambulances. credits.
technical jigsaw. Visit the area
years.
and 1960s.
sia. The economic crisis, the
years municipal clinics received
educational establishments.
today and you will see rows of
For example, Russia has
Worldwide, he argues, educa-
spare parts from tractors and
tion, healthcare, the agro-in-
collapse of industry and agri-
as much modern medical equip-
Financing in 2006-2007, $bn
been a grain exporter for sev-
combines.
dustrial sector and housing
culture, the abuses of privati-
ment as in the preceding 10 eral years now. It sold 12 mil-
Alongside, groups of agricul-
construction are hugely capi-
sation, serious mistakes made
years.
1.7 6.0 4.5
lion tons of grain last year.
tural engineers set about re-
talised industries, and it
in the course of economic and
Stimulating the birth-rate and However, the high-technology
assembling the old equipment
would thus seem sensible to
social reforms, huge foreign
care of mother and child was a sectors, such as livestock
into new tractors and com-
develop the new economy
debts that had to be paid back
separate and important area of
SOURCE: LEVEDA CENTRE PRESS SERVICE
breeding, are still struggling.
bines, ready for the spring
alongside the benefits provid-
- all that resulted in social de-
effort. “Childbirth certificates” or Half of all the food in Russian
sowing. The same teams also
ed by construction, health-
cline verging on a catastrophe.
vouchers were issued to expec-
HOUSING gage; to ensure massive con- turning point. Thanks to a
shops is imported. It was
clean the local roads, put out
care, education and medical
People survived by engag-
tant mothers, who showed them therefore decided to allocate
fires, shoot jackals that fre-
technologies.
ing in trade and small busi-
at pre-natal and maternity clin-
Surveys show about 60pc of struction of new housing estates; complex of measures to stimu-
billions of roubles to subsidise
quent sheds housing piglets,
Clearly, not every project is
ness, as well as growing pota-
ics. Clinics used these documents
Russian families need to im- and to overhaul decrepit houses. late the co Pro-
low-interest long-term credits
and carry out an enormous
going smoothly. The housing
toes on their tiny plots of land.
to claim extra funding from the
prove their housing. The situa- The project got off to a grammesnstruction industry
for the building and retooling
number of social functions.
initiative is facing tremendous
Many emigrated to more pros-
government. Early results are al-
tion is hardest for young peo- rocky start: in 2005-2006 the amount of housing built
of livestock complexes. The
And they do this for little
difficulties (as before, few
perous countries.
ready evident: in 2006, for the
ple. The project pursues three housing prices shot up (more has increased by a third com-
second important area is the
money.
people can afford housing in
That was the legacy this ad-
first time in post-Soviet Russia,
main goals: providing targeted than doubling in two years), pared with 2006. The market
development of production at
Albayevo has become the fo-
Russia), while investment is
ministration inherited in
the death rate dropped by
assistance to tens of thou- outstripping the growth of promptly reacted by stabilis-
private subsidiary plots and
cus of one of the four large-
pushing house prices even
2000. It was necessary to
138,000 and in the first half of
sands of young families to en- people’s incomes. There are ing prices and experts do not
farms, which currently ac-
scale “national projects” cur-
higher and fuelling inflation.
take the country out of the
2007 by a further 70,000.
able them to take out a mort- signs that 2007 may mark a expect a sharp growth.
count for half of all agricultur-
rently being implemented by
But elsewhere, as the example
crisis. It took five years to cre-
al output. Simultaneously,
central government.
of Albayevo shows, the na-
ate the conditions for that.
that addresses a range of so-
According to Alexei Chadayev,
tional project programme has
The President’s annual Ad-
The Levada Centre conducted an opinion poll among 1,600 adults in the Russian
dress to the Federal Assembly
National projects survey
cial problems, such as job cre-
Federation. The following are the answers to some of the questions alongside the re-
political journalist and some-
ation and increasing rural in-
an encouraging ability to
in 2002 for the first time set
sults of earlier polls. The polls have a margin of error of 3pc.
time member of Russia’s Pub-
comes.
amount to more than the sum
lic Chamber (a consultative
value of governmental invest-
clear and simple goals: people
Have you heard about national projects in education, health Will the implementation of the national projects lead to
All the four priorities look
parliament), the agro-industri-
ment and – no less crucially –
must have a chance to work,
care, housing and agriculture? considerable improvements in education?
to the future. The Ministry of
al national project is in fact
to unify people in a common
to earn as much as they want,
Regional Development is cur-
the most successful of all cur-
cause. -
so that they would want to
rently working out a Long-
live in Russia and not to leave
Term Strategy of Housing
it. But it took three years to
Construction for the period up
stabilise the economic situa-
to 2025. The Ministry of
tion sufficiently for the state
Health and Social Develop-
RIA NOVOSTI
to be able to come to grips
ment has embarked on a simi-
with these tasks.
lar programme. In the agricul-
Why, of all things, were
tural sector such a pro-
healthcare, housing, education
gramme already exists, and
and improvement of rural life
will span the period between
chosen? First, these are the
2008 and 2012. No wonder
spheres that go a long way to
Vladimir Putin has been
determining people’s quality
speaking about the continuity
of life and the way society
of the economic and social
feels. There is yet another rea-
policy after the new President
is elected in March next year.
-
Will the implementation of the national projects lead to consider- Will the implementation of the national projects lead to consider- Will the implementation of the national projects lead to consider-
able improvements in health care? able improvements in the availability of housing? able improvement in agriculture?
SOURCE: LEVEDA CENTRE PRESS SERVICE
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