The Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast
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Address by Boris MALTSEV at the LIII Session of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast (October 27, 2011)
At the beginning of his address at the LIII session of the Duma Boris Maltsev reminded the audience that “the second wave of the global crisis is about to hit.”
“No sooner had the global economy got over the first crisis than it ended up on the threshold of a new one. To keep Euro and the entire European Union system afloat, the Europe had to increase its Stabilization Fund.”
The Speaker gave an assessment of the global situation describing the world as “infected with a fairness virus.”
“Even in developed European countries where the laws are stricter and the control is tighter, and the market mechanisms have worked for centuries, people do riot. They are angry at the unfair distribution of income.”
People get irritated. Negative emotions pile up. People want to live in a fair world with fair income distribution and decent wages. All these issues must never be removed from the today’s agenda.
The election campaign in Russia has entered a decisive stage. All nominated parties have been registered by the Russian Central Election Commission and the Election Commission of Tomsk Oblast. Registration of majority candidates to the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast is close to completion. The lists feature a wide variety of jobs – professors, nursery school workers, doctors, security guards, etc. That means that people acknowledge the authority of the regional legislative assembly. Our long-term election experience has shown that our voters assess each of the deputy candidates at their true worth. So, we can be sure that the ones who win will be smart, strong, and conscientious.
This month has a very busy agenda for all deputies, committee, civil society institutions, and regional and municipal governments. Everybody is busy with budgeting for 2012 and 2013-2014.
The Oblast will deliver on all its social commitments. The related budget expenditure is stable, steady, and has sufficient margin. First, the draft budget we have developed is balanced. Second, in accordance with the Letter of the Russian Ministry of Finance we have started working on creation of a regional budget reserve fund to secure proper execution of the budget in the macroeconomic context forecasted for 2012.
On the development of the Oblast’s economy
From the standpoint of the strategic development of the economy of the region and its evolution to an innovative economy and from the standpoint of investment attractiveness, the Government of the Russian Federation made an invaluable gift to Tomsk Oblast. On October 6, 2011 Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation and United Russia leader Vladimir Putin signed Resolution of the Government No. 17-56R which reads, “APPROVE the concept of the project for creation of a center for education, research and developmnet in Tomsk Oblast.”
The Resolution contains expressly indicated instructions to the Ministries of Finance, Economic Development, and Transport, and other federal executive bodies to take provisions of this document into account for the purposes of budgeting and developing federal target programs. This gives us carte blanche to seek considerable investment allocations from the federal budget. Had the entire Resolution consisted of this single statement, still it would have been momentous for Tomsk Oblast people. And what the Government did – it approved a whole concept which includes:
– Transition to an innovative economy
– Creation of research and educational complexes
– Creation of innovation infrastructures
– Creation of high technology companies
– Development of innovative entrepreneurship by using private – not budget! – capital
– Creation of living and working conditions for innovators
The Concept pursues development of four components:
1. Center – a high technology center for education, research and development on the basis of the universities, academic and research institutions, and innovative companies of Tomsk Oblast.
2. Science Park – a combination of educational and research institutions and elements of the innovation infrastructure located within a specified area.
3. University Campus – a combination of administrative, educational, and scientific facilities of the research and educational complex.
4. Center for Cluster Development – an element of the innovation infrastructure for promoting small and medium entrepreneurship innovation clusters and interaction among cluster participants.
By adding up all this, the Oblast obtains a unique combination of factors, competitive advantages, and enormous potential for futher priority development of the regional innovation system and evolution of the regional economy.
I will once again emphasize how important this document is for Tomsk Oblast people. There are more than 1,000 cities in Russia, and – to my best knowledge – only one city – Tomsk – was officially recognized as an innovation city by the Govrenment of the Russian Federation. The effects for our science, education, and economy will only be positive and what is the most important is that the implementation of this Resolution means qualitative improvements in the life of each citizen of Tomsk Oblast.
About the agenda
There are 50 items on the Duma’s agenda.
A set of bills on foster care and guardianship in Tomsk Oblast. The objective is simple – to minimize the numbers of children in orphanages. There is some progress – in 2007 the population of orphanages was 630 children and in 2011 it is 437.
The deputies will consider a bill “On subsistence minimum of a pensioner in Tomsk Oblast in 2012” under which the citizens who get pensions below the subsistence minimum will be eligible for an allowance from the federal budget.
There are items on Oblast-funded provision of medications, namely salvage medications, to the federal social security beneficiaries.
There are changes in the Oblast budget – additional 148 million rubles of earmarked federal funds.
During “A Governor’s Hour” the Head of the Tomsk Oblast Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation will deliver his report in accordance with the Federal Law.
Amendments to the Law “On government support of the agricultural industry in Tomsk Oblast” will expand the list of areas where the government can financially help the innovative development of the agricultural sector and the development of the utility networks and transport infrastructure in rural areas.
The agenda is quite ambitious. I call everyone for efficient work.
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