Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs Government Presidium meeting
During a Government Presidium meeting, Vladimir Putin said that the regional and federal authorities should not allow electricity and gas tariffs to exceed the planned 15% increase. The prime minister also instructed the Federal Antimonopoly Service to continue monitoring fuel price cuts. Another major topic on the agenda was the implementation of the second stage of the demographic development programme. Putin said that 876 billion roubles of budget funds would be earmarked for this purpose through 2013.
Events for 16 february 2011
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Federal Customs Service Head Andrei Belyaninov
Vladimir Putin and Andrei Belyaninov discussed the results of the Federal Customs Service’s work in the preceding period and in the first 45 days of 2011. Mr Putin noted that the Federal Customs Service had done a successful job last year, as highlighted by the revenue collected and by the amount transferred to the budget. Mr Belyaninov said customs officers will be able to fulfil the government’s 2011 plan, although they will have to work hard to do it.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Krasnodar Territory Governor Alexander Tkachev
The governor reported to the prime minister on the region’s social and economic development and on the results of relief works following last year’s severe flooding. Mr Tkachev expressed gratitude to the federal government for the support they had provided and informed the prime minister that new housing for the flood victims had been completed by the end of last year.
“The performance of expert groups must be as open and democratic as possible. Experts should consider all sensible alternatives and proposals. They should not dismiss anything outright without constructive and professional discussion. There should be no room for political motives in the work of expert groups. <…> If the discussion is real, and if the final proposals are subjected to serious debate, there will be more trust in the results of the experts’ work.”
