The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation at its meeting on March 5, 2009 made adopted the following decisions on the items on its agenda.
1. Discussion of current issues
The Government of the Russian Federation has instructed the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development and the Ministry of Finance to prepare proposals on the development of a network of government employment centres, their equipment, and the increase of their staffs in order to reduce the waiting time for citizens seeking employment services and submit the same to the Government of the Russian Federation under the established procedure within ten days.
2. Measures to ensure seasonal agricultural work in the spring of 2009
The Government of the Russian Federation has issued the following instructions:
• The Ministry of Agriculture, together with the federal executive bodies and the executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, will coordinate the current measures connected with seasonal agricultural work in the spring of 2009.
• The Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, will take measures to meet the needs for fuel and lubricants in the regions of the Russian Federation in amounts sufficient for effective seasonal agricultural work in the spring of 2009, including diesel fuel and petrol under signed supply contracts.
• The Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of Energy, together with the executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and in collaboration with the associations of goods providers, will monitor the prices of fuel and lubricants and mineral fertilizer supplied to agriculture and take prompt action to stabilize them.
• The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service will step up control of compliance with anti-monopoly legislation of the Russian Federation by suppliers of fuel and lubricants and mineral fertilizer during the period of seasonal agricultural work.
The Government of the Russian Federation has issued the following recommendations:
• To OAO Rosselkhozbank and Sberbank to issue, in amounts and on terms agreed with the Ministry of Agriculture, loans to agricultural producers to purchase seeds, mineral fertilizer, plant protection means, fuel and lubricants, and spare parts to ensure the timely and proper preparation of agricultural machinery for seasonal agricultural work;
• To OAO Rosagroleasing to ensure timely delivery of agricultural machinery for seasonal agricultural work in 2009 in accordance with the contracts signed;
• To lending institutions catering to agricultural organizations, to consider the use of turnover assets, finished products, equipment, spare parts, and other inventory, as well as plots of agricultural land as collateral for loans.
The executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation have been advised:
• To carry out a set of measures to maintain the area under crops in 2009 at least at the 2008 level and to bring in new ploughland;
• To meet the obligations for 2009 assumed under contracts signed with the Ministry of Agriculture on implementing the measures of the National Programme of the Development of Agriculture and Regulation of the Markets of Agricultural Produce, Raw Materials, and Food in 2008-2012;
• To enter into contracts with the suppliers of fuel and lubricants for the entire period of seasonal agricultural work;
• To create regional headquarters to coordinate the preparation for and performance of seasonal agricultural work.
3. Progress in implementing measures aimed at improving the situation in the financial sector and some other sectors of the economy
The Government of the Russian Federation has instructed:
• The Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Customs Service, and the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service within their frame of reference and together with the federal executive bodies concerned to speedily complete the preparation of and duly submit to the Government of the Russian Federation draft legal regulatory acts pertaining to:
--improvement of the budgeting process to create opportunities for lease transactions in the process of government procurement;
-- granting of deferments of up to 6 months on the payment of customs duties on imported aircraft and spare parts for them;
-- ensuring non-discriminatory access to the infrastructure of airport fueling complexes.
• The Ministry of Economic Development to include the relevant information on the preparation of the abovementioned draft legal regulatory documents in the next report on the progress in fulfilling the measures aimed at improving the situation in the financial sector and some other sectors of the economy, said report to be subsequently discussed at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation.
• The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development, together with the Bank of Russia, to submit to the Government under the established procedure within two weeks information on the amounts and structure of loans issued to the enterprises and organizations in the real sector of the economy for the 4th quarter of 2008 and January-February 2009 by Vneshekonombank, OAO VTB Bank, Sberbank, Gazprombank (an open joint stock company) and OAO Rosselkhozbank.
• The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development, together with the federal executive bodies concerned and the Bank of Russia, to submit to the Government under the established procedure proposals on improving the mechanism of state support of banks before March 10, 2009, with a view to linking the amount of such support to the amount and structure of the loans the banks in question issue to the enterprises and organizations in the real sector of the economy.
• The Federal Customs Service and the Ministry of Economic Development to review the results of the implementation of the Government decisions on increasing the customs duties on cars imported into the customs territory of the Russian Federation and to submit the relevant report to the Government under the established procedure within two weeks.
• The Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance, together with the federal executive bodies concerned, to prepare proposals on amendments to the laws of the Russian Federation required to increase advance payment to the contractors fulfilling state and municipal orders and submit the relevant proposals to the Government under the established procedure.
4. Draft Federal Law On Introducing Amendments to Article 50 of the Federal Law On Education and to Article 16 of the Federal Law On Higher and Further Professional Education
The Government of the Russian Federation has approved the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Article 50 of the Federal Law On Education and to Article 16 of the Federal Law On Higher and Further Professional Education and has ordered it to be submitted to the State Duma under the established procedure.
5. Draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Article 6 of the Federal Law On Fire Safety and Article 23.34 of the Federal Code On Administrative Offenses
The Government of the Russian Federation has approved the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Article 6 of the Federal Law On Fire Safety and Article 23.34 of the Federal Code On Administrative Offenses and has ordered it to be submitted to the State Duma under the established procedure.
6. Introducing amendments to the Statute on the Ministry of Finance
The meeting approved the draft resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation on the above issue.
March 17, 2009
Moscow
*Decisions on the agenda items are made with due account of the remarks and proposals expressed at the Government meeting and are issued as official documents of the Government of the Russian Federation.