Viktor Zubkov's speech:
Today we will summarise the results of the sector's growth in 2009 and set its goals and objectives for 2010.
Russia's fishing industry showed excellent results last year. A modern legal framework for the sector was created, an industry concept was approved, and so was a federal targeted programme for 2009 through 2013.
The government's economic support policies were activated: the fees for water resource use were cut to less than one-sixth of the earlier level; small companies operating in the sector saw their tax schedule change to a single farming tax; the government provided 1 billion roubles to subsidise loans so companies could build and update their fishing fleets and onshore facilities.
The total financing of the industry was increased to 15.5 billion roubles.
Let me repeat, despite the economic and financial downturn, Russia's fishing sector has shown good results and met its 2009 objectives.
Let me also use this occasion to tell the members of the Federal Agency for Fishery and heads of commercial companies and public organisations present here that I highly appreciate your work last year. Please take my words to your teams, too.
Now about our plans for this year. The key goal is boosting production and meeting your targeted production volumes, and also increasing supplies to the domestic market. Unfortunately, the current growth in production has so far gone unnoticed by domestic consumers, as 37% of all fishing products were exported last year. On the other hand, Russia imported 80,000 metric tons of salmon and trout from Norway. This trend needs to be reversed.
The Federal Agency for Fishery, in association with the Ministries for Industry and Trade, for Economic Development and for Regional Development, should take some steps to promote the creation of an effective logistics system, to ensure product delivery to consumers. The goal to boost production also requires a modern infrastructure to ensure the receiving, processing, storage and the transportation of product.
Another important issue is formulating the state order for fishing products for military units, schools, hospitals, kindergartens and other state public institutions. As of today, they often purchase imported fish; this situation has to change.
With regard to loan financing, in 2009, loans issued to the industry by commercial banks totaled about 16 billion roubles. This is a negligible amount. This sector must use borrowed financing more extensively. To handle the problem, a working group has been set up by the Government Commission on the Development of the Fisheries Industry. It includes representatives from lending institutions, the heads of major fishing companies and representatives of federal executive bodies.