The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation at its meeting on March 19 2009 adopted the following decisions on the items on its agenda. 

1. Updated forecast of the social and economic development of the Russian

Federation for 2009

The Government of the Russian Federation has approved an updated forecast of the Russian Federation's socio-economic development for 2009 and has issued the following instructions to:

- the Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Federal Tariff Service to analyse factors influencing the growth of tariffs for the services of housing/municipal utilities companies in January-February 2009 in the Russian Federation's constituent entities and to report their findings to the Government over a two-week period in line with the established procedure;

- the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development, together with executive bodies of the Russian Federation's constituent entities, to implement additional measures to inform the population on the relevant procedure for paying unemployment benefits;

- Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov to coordinate the above work.

2. The draft programme of the Russian Government anti-crisis measures for 2009

The meeting approved in the main the draft programme of the Russian Government's anti-crisis measures for 2009, including the main measures of the Government and the Bank of Russia aimed at the rehabilitation of the Russian economy in 2009.

The Ministry of Economic Development has been instructed, in collaboration with the federal executive bodies concerned, to finalise the draft programme of the Government's anti-crisis measures for the 2009 period, with due account taken of the Government's previous orders after discussions with the Russian Federation's constituent entities and the non-governmental organisations concerned.

The finalised draft programme of the Government's anti-crisis measures for the 2009 period, including the main measures of the Government and the Bank of Russia aimed at the rehabilitation of the Russian economy in 2009, must be submitted to the Government by April 3, 2009 in line with the established procedure.

3. The draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On the Federal Budget for 2009 and the Planning Period of 2010 and 2011

The Government has approved, following the relevant discussion, the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On the Federal Budget for 2009 and the Planning Period of 2010 and 2011.

The Government has instructed:

• the Ministry of Finance, together with the federal executive bodies concerned, to re-examine the said draft federal law with particular attention to the issues pertaining to:

- increase in 2009 of budgetary allocations for the payment of pensions, benefits and compensation to citizens discharged from military service and other types of service having the same status in line with specific requests of the concerned departments caused by the actual increase of retired military personnel in excess of official numbers, including as a result of the restructuring of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and heeding an actual increase in such payments throughout 2009;

- increase in 2009 of  budgetary allocations for repaying arrears and ensuring per diem payments to the personnel of the Armed Forces deployed in the Republic of South Ossetia and the republic of Abkhazia in accordance with the standard norms and the actual period of secondment;

- increase in 2009 of budgetary allocations for the Russian-Indian multi-role transport aircraft project;

- adjustment of the expenditure commitments of the Russian Federation for reimbursing the investor at the termination of an investment contract for the restoration and renovation of the Sredniye Torgovye Ryady shopping centre;

- increase of budgetary allocations to finance the organisation and holding of the 27^th Summer Universiade in 2013 in Kazan;

- increase in 2009 of budgetary allocations for activities conducted as part of the Year of the Youth;

- updating the volume of budgetary allocations for the pilot project stipulating state support for the issue of education loans to students of higher professional educational establishments with state accreditation;

- addition to Article 12 of the federal law On the Federal Budget for 2009 and the Planning Period of 2010 and 2011 by joint stock companies whose authorised capital contributions are envisaged under the investment project, the Formulation of Project Documentation for the Investment Project Comprehensive Development of South Yakutia, financed through the Investment Fund of the Russian Federation;

- redistribution of budgetary allocations to finance conservation and rescue archaeological work in an area subject to flooding during the filling of the Boguchanskaya Hydroelectric Plant's water reservoir;

- updating the volumes and spheres of disbursing budgetary allocations being reserved for anti-crisis measures;

- specifying the volumes of budgetary allocations for the establishment and maintenance of historical-heritage centres of former Russian presidents;

- increase in federal budget subsidies to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation to finance social policy measures in order to ensure the repayment of arrears on fines and penalties on profit tax received from the investment of temporarily free assets of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation and from the temporary investment of the sums of insurance premiums to finance the cumulative part of the labour pension due to be paid by the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation;

- augmenting the goals of government guarantees rendered to strategic defence industry organisations as well as organisations selected in line with the procedure stipulated by the Government, providing collateral for loans taken out by the said organisations for the repayment of their previous loans and bond issues used for their core production activities and capital investment and determination of the terms of the Russian Federation's state guarantees granted under this type of state guarantee support, as stipulated by the loan contract's loan repayment deadline, increased by two years;

- consolidation of the proceeds being received by territorial bodies of the Federal Service for Supervision of Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management (Rostekhnadzor) for conducting state environmental examinationn of the relevant facilities and the use of these resources to finance the expenditure commitments of state environmental examination of the said objects;

- adjusting the budgetary allocations to finance the activities of the territorial bodies of the Federal Service for Labour and Employment (Rostrud) and employment centres;

• the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Transport, the Federal Registration Service (Rosreyestr), together with other state clients of the federal targeted programme Global Navigation System (2002-2011), shall within 24 hours adjust and submit to the Ministry of Finance proposals on the volume of budgetary allocations for the said programme within the limits of budgetary funding stipulated by the draft federal law for the said chief administrators of federal-budgetary allocations;
• the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade shall jointly examine the expenditure vis-à-vis the Russian Federation's participation in the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China, with a view to increasing budgetary allocations in 2009 by 700 million roubles for building the Russian pavilion and preparing the national exposition;
• the Ministry of Regional Development shall within 24 hours submit to the Ministry of Finance proposals on the volume of budgetary allocations under the Housing federal targeted programme for 2002-2010 within the budgetary allocations stipulated by the draft federal law for the Ministry of Regional Development;
• the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Regional Development shall within 24 hours examine and if necessary update the volume of budgetary allocations for the construction of flood protection facilities in the city of St Petersburg;
• the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade shall study the issue of including in the draft federal law provisions on subsidising interest rates carried by loans obtained by strategic organisations at Russian lending institutions;
• the Ministry of Regional Development shall within 24 hours update and submit proposals regarding the volume of budgetary allocations for subsidising payments of housing and utilities rates by citizens within the budgetary allocations stipulated for the Ministry of Regional Development under the draft federal law.

An updated draft federal law shall be submitted to the Government of the Russian Federation before March 25, 2009 (the text of the Federal Law shall be submitted before March 23, 2009) for the purpose of submitting it at the State Duma in line with the established procedure.

The Government of the Russian Federation has also issued the following instructions:

• the chief administrators of federal-budgetary allocations - the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Telecommunications and Mass Media, the Federal Registration Service (Rosreyestr), the Federal Service for Supervision of Education and Science (Rosobrnadzor), the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor), the Federal Communications Agency (Rossvyaz), the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), the Federal Rail Transport Agency (Roszheldor), the Federal Service for State Statistics (Rosstat), the Russian Agriculture Academy, and other departments - shall within three days ensure the transfer, to the account of the chief administrator of federal-budgetary allocations , of undistributed budgetary commitment limits subject to reductions for the purpose of blocking the corresponding budgetary-commitment limits;
• the chief administrators of federal-budgetary allocations that have issued subsidies, subventions and other targeted interbudgetary transfers out of the federal budget to the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation shall by March 25, 2009 submit to the Ministry of Finance proposals on the return to the federal budget revenue of the balance of those said interbudgetary transfers not disbursed by January 1, 2009;
• the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Culture, in preparing proposals on the distribution of federal-budgetary subsidies to the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, shall additionally examine the issue of financial support for the construction of theatres in the cities of Astrakhan, Samara, Kyzyl and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky;
• the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Regional Development shall additionally examine the issues pertaining to the mechanism of financing the construction of facilities in the Republic of South Ossetia and to submit the relevant proposals to the Government of the Russian Federation in line with the established procedure.

4. Introducing amendments to the federal laws On the Budgets of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation, and the Federal Mandatory Medical Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation for 2009 and the Planning Period of 2010 and 2011

The Government has approved draft federal laws On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On the Budget of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation for 2009 and the Planning Period of 2010 and 2011, On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On the Budget of the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation for 2009 and the Planning Period of 2010 and 2011, and On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On the Budget of the Federal Mandatory Medical Insurance Fund for 2009 and the  Planning Period of 2010 and 2011, and has authorised to submit them to the State Duma in line with the established procedure.

5. The draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation to Enhance the Material Standard of Living of Certain Categories of Citizens.

The Government approved the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation to Enhance the Material Standard of Living of Certain Categories of Citizens and has authorised to submit it to the State Duma in line with the established procedure.

6. The draft federal law On Introducing an Amendment to Article 229² of the Labour Code of the Russian Federation

The Government of the Russian Federation approved the draft federal law On Introducing an Amendment to Article 229² of the Labour Code of the Russian Federation and has authorised to submit it to the State Duma in line with the established procedure.

7. The progress in implementing of federal targeted programmes as well as the Federal Targeted Investment Programme for 2008

The Government has instructed federal executive bodies serving as state clients (state client-coordinators) of federal targeted programmes, as well as construction sites and other projects for federal state needs that failed to implement programme measures on time throughout 2008 and that failed to commission construction sites and other projects, to take the necessary action to implement programme measures and to commission construction sites and other projects and to submit the relevant information to the Ministry of Economic Development by May 15, 2009.

The Ministry of Economic Development shall present a progress report on the work accomplished to the Government by June 1, 2009.

The Government has drawn the attention of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development, the Ministry of Telecommunications and Mass Media and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to insufficiencies in effective implementation of the following federal targeted programmes in 2008: The Creation of the System of the Black Sea Fleet Bases in the Russian Federation from 2005 to 2020, Social Support for Disabled Persons from 2006 to 2010, Electronic Russia (2002-2010), Commercial Disposal of Weapons and Military Equipment (2005-2010), respectively.

The Ministry of Economic Development, proceeding from proposals held by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development, the Ministry of Telecommunications and Mass Media, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, has been instructed to draft proposals to enhance the effectiveness of the implementation of the said programmes and submit them to the Government for consideration by April 15, 2009.

The Government has instructed federal executive bodies and state clients of federal targeted programmes to:

• take measures to ensure co-financing of the programmes out of budgets of the Russian Federation's constituent entities, municipal budgets and extra-budgetary sources for implementing the measures scheduled for 2009;
• ensure timely and complete submission of reports on the implementation of federal targeted programmes and the provision of budgetary investment for capital construction projects not listed in the federal targeted programmes;
• submit to the Ministry of Economic Development, within two weeks following the approval of the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to the Federal

Law On the Federal Budget for 2009 and the Planning Period of 2010 and 2011, updated lists of measures of federal targeted programmes being implemented in 2009, as well as updated quarterly target indicators and parameters assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of the programmes for 2009;

The Ministry of Economic Development has been instructed to submit the corresponding report together with materials for examining the implementation of federal targeted programmes and the federal targeted investment programme on the results of the first quarter of 2009 at a Government meeting;

The chief administrators of federal-budgetary allocations - state clients of construction sites and other projects for federal state needs - have been instructed to take the necessary measures to finalise and submit draft regulatory documents on drafting and implementing budgetary investment in state-owned capital construction projects not listed in federal targeted programmes to the Government for consideration in line with the established procedure;

The Ministry of Economic Development shall report back on the progress of this work to the Government by May 1, 2009.

To ensure the implementation of federal targeted programmes and budgetary investments in capital construction projects for federal state needs not listed in the programmes,  the Government has instructed:

• the chief administrators of federal-budgetary allocations to submit within five days to the Ministry of Economic Development for consideration proposals on introducing amendments to the list of construction sites and other projects for federal state needs in 2009 agreed with the corresponding state clients-coordinators of federal targeted programmes, with due account taken of the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On the Federal Budget for 2009 and the Planning Period of 2010 and 2011;
• the Ministry of Finance to submit within five days to the Ministry of Economic Development information on amended budgetary allocation volumes for the implementation of federal targeted programmes and capital construction projects not listed in the federal targeted programmes with due account taken of the draft law On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On the Federal Budget for 2009 and the Planning Period of 2010 and 2011;
• the Ministry of Economic Development to formulate and, together with the Ministry of Finance, submit a draft amended list of construction sites and other projects for federal state needs in 2009 to the Government for approval in line with the established procedure by April 15, 2009;
• the Ministry of Finance to approve budgetary-commitment ceilings under federal targeted programmes and capital construction projects not listed in federal targeted programmes in line with the established procedure pending the approval of the corresponding amendments of federal targeted programmes and changes in the list of construction sites and other projects for federal state needs in 2009;
• the Ministry of Economic Development, within three days after the Government has approved the amended list of construction sites and other projects for federal state needs in 2009, to inform chief administrators of federal-budget allocations on the corresponding excerpts from the approved list;

The Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance shall inform the Government on the results of the above work by June 1, 2009;

The Ministry of Economic Development has been instructed to submit proposals regarding the deadlines and content of measures needed to duly modify federal target programmes to the Ministry of Finance by April 1, 2009.The proposals are needed to formulate the relevant timeframe for drafting the 2010 federal budget and that for the 2011-2012 planning period.

The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Regional Development and the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development have been instructed to re-examine the need for drafting the Government's regulatory legal documents required to conclude agreements on providing subsidies to co-finance state-owned capital construction projects of the Russian Federation's constituent entities and municipal entities and to duly submit the relevant proposals to the Government by April 1, 2009 in line with the established procedure.

8. The draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation In Connection With the Approval of the Federal Law Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements

The Government approved the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation In Connection With the Approval of the Federal Law Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements and has authorised to submit it to the State Duma in line with the established procedure.

9. The draft federal law On Redeeming Harvest-90 Vouchers, Payments to Suppliers of Agricultural Produce of the 1991 Harvest, and On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On State Commodity Debt Obligations.

The Government approved the draft federal law On Redeeming Harvest-90 Vouchers, Payments to Suppliers of Agricultural Produce of the 1991 Harvest, and On Introducing Amendments to the Federal Law On State Commodity Debt Obligations and has authorised to submit it to the State Duma in line with the established procedure.

10. The distribution of subsidies to the Russian Federation's constituent entities for the support of measures to ensure balanced budgets of the constituent entities for 2009

The meeting approved the Government's draft executive order on the above issue.

The Ministry of Regional Development has been instructed, if necessary, to submit to the Government the corresponding proposals on issuing additional subsidies to the budget of the Yaroslavl Region to finance the organisation and holding of the National State Conference.

11. Introducing amendments to some acts of the Government of the Russian Federation

The meeting approved the Government's draft executive order on the above issue.

12. Introducing amendments to the Statute of the Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks

The meeting approved the Government's draft executive order on the above issue.

13. Approving technical regulations on the safety products for children and teenagers

The meeting approved the Government's draft executive order on the above issue.

14. Measures to streamline the system of control of sports vessels in the Russian Federation

The meeting approved the Government's draft executive order on the above issue.

15. The preparation of Russian athletes for the XXI Winter Olympic Games and the X Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver (Canada) in 2010

The meeting, proceeding from the results of the discussion, approved the Government's draft executive order on the above issue.

16. The formation of an organising committee for the celebration of the 50^th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's space flight

The meeting approved the Government's draft executive order on the above issue.

17. The signing of the agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of Turkmenistan on incentives and mutual protection of investments

The meeting approved the Government's draft executive order on the above issue.

March 24, 2009

Moscow

* All decisions on the agenda's items are adopted with due account taken of remarks and proposals made at the Government's meeting and are formalised by the Government's official documents.