Report by Tomsk Oblast Governor Viktor Kress to the deputies of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast on performance of Tomsk Oblast Administration in 2010

Report by Tomsk Oblast Governor Viktor Kress to the deputies of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast on performance of Tomsk Oblast Administration in 2010 (April 28, 2011)

The Governor centered his speech around the crisis management activity of the executive bodies in 2010 and its results, and the last year’s projects in progress. Crisis management performance of the executive branch in 2010

Key directions of the regional macroeconomic policy are set by the federal government. Evaluation of the executive branch’s performance by the Presidential Executive Office will be given in May. In 2009 Tomsk Oblast was at the 13th position in Russia.

2010 results

Gross regional product of Tomsk Oblast in 2010 grew by 4.5% vs 2009 and almost equaled that of 2008. The region has kept its second position in the Siberian Federal District and has remained one of 15 leading regions for its GRP per capita.

Physical output of industrial commodities index in 2010 grew by a little more than 6%. After the significant drop in 2009 manufacturing enterprises have grown well – in total by 9%.

Mining also grew by 4.2% by the end of the year. T

The past year also witnessed rapid growth of the research and educational complex of Tomsk Oblast and saw the region strengthen its positions in science and innovations both in the Siberian Federal District and in Russia.

The share of the research and educational complex and science-driven business in the gross regional product of the Oblast grew to 15%. The total amount of financing of the research and educational complex facilities in 2010 exceeded 21.5bn rubles.

Tomsk Special Economic Zone of Technical Innovation Type developed steadily being one of the key tools of the new economy of Tomsk Oblast. The Engineering Center and the most important element of the infrastructure of SEZ and the city the Eastern Road Junction were commissioned. Today, SEZ has 56 registered residents including 7 residents with the participation of foreign capital. Investments in the SEZ facilities totaled almost 3bn rubles, including foreign investment over 500m rubles and private investment around 1bn rubles.

The agricultural sectorended the year with rather good results.

In 2010 all farms produced more than the previous year: potatoes, poultry, pork, and milk. However, the output of grain, vegetables, and eggs went down. Tomsk Oblast is the 2010 leader in the Siberian Federal District and at the 8th position in Russia for milk yield – almost 5,200 kg of milk per one forage-fed cow.

The consumer market of Tomsk Oblast in 2009 collapsed more dramatically than on the national scale (by 9%). We did not manage to recover those volumes in 2010 although we ended the year with a 2.4% growth. Inflation hit Tomsk Oblast less than on the national scale. In Tomsk Oblast it was 7.9% whereas country-wide 8.8%.

The economic structure of Tomsk Oblast in 2010 underwent several changes. For the first time over the period of market reforms the output of services exceeded the output of goods. The Oblast is gradually abandoning the resource-based path and acquiring a more modern economic structure.

The past year saw commissioning of large-scale facilities such as Tomsk Perinatal Center, indoor track-and-field arena, Kopylovo ceramics factory, sports hall with an artificial ice rink in Tomsk, SEZ Engineering Center, two general education schools (in Tomsk and Molchanovo Districts), nursery school for 220 children in Tomsk, and other facilities.

In 2010 a number of municipal entities of Tomsk Oblast demonstrated a positive development dynamics.

Demography. In 2010 natural population growth in the Oblast was 436 people.

Tomsk Oblast is among the nine Russian regions where population growth (driven in part by migration) has been recorded for the fourth year in a row.

Tasks and prospects of 2011

In 2010 Tomsk Oblast Administration started working on creation of a world-class center for education, research, and development in Tomsk ‘INO-Tomsk 2020.’

Tomsk airport received the status ‘international airport.’ A decision was made to allocate funds for the runway reconstruction engineering in 2011 and the reconstruction as such in 2012-2013 – 2.6bn rubles in total.

Agreements on the start of a number of massive projects in innovative economy were signed.

Presidium of the Russian Government Commission on High Technology and Innovation reviewed and recommended the Russian Government to approve the project of the technology platform ‘Medicine of the Future.’

In 2010 a memorandum of intent to invest in the Altai gas pipeline construction was developed. This new project by Gazprom involves construction of a gas pipeline from Siberian gas fields to the north-west of China. The length of the pipeline before the Russian border is about 2,700 km including over 800 km in Tomsk Oblast. Construction of the ‘Russian’ part of the pipeline is scheduled to be completed in late 2013. Preliminary cost of the project is about 500bn rubles.

SIBUR announced a number of interesting projects to be implemented at Tomskneftekhim site.

In 2010 a West-Siberian oil refinery construction project was presented in Tomsk. The cost of the project involving oil refining up to 95% is estimated at 60bn rubles. Startup of the refinery is scheduled for 2015. The annual capacity of the plant will be up to 4 million tons of oil. Its products will meet world standards.

Construction of a sports complex with a 50-meter swimming pool was started in Tomsk. Preliminary cost of the project is 900m rubles. The capacity of the complex will be 246 swimmers and 1500 seats. Commissioning of the complex is scheduled for 2013.

In 2010 construction of an indoor ice hall in Strezhevoy was started.

Last year, investment in fixed assets of Tomsk Oblast totaled around 76bn rubles and exceeded the 2009 levels (74.7bn rubles).

Investors in Tomsk Oblast: oil companies Imperial Energy (India), Rusneft, and Vostokgazprom; Siberian Agrarian Group (agriculture); Mezheninovskoye Poultry Farm – decided to build a portobello mushrooms farm; Tomsk soft landscaping organization Tomsky Gorzelenstroy started building a new vegetable greenhouse complex; Henda Sibir (China) in wood processing; French Veolia who will be modernizing Tomsk waterworks; Partner-Tomsk who started up the most modern in Russia MDF board plant last year and are seriously considering to expand capacities.

The Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast

Report by Tomsk Oblast Governor Viktor Kress to the deputies of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast on performance of Tomsk Oblast Administration in 2010 (April 28, 2011)