Address by Oksana Kozlovskaya at the 10th Session
of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast (June 26, 2012)
The Speaker opened her speech with evaluation of the global situation, i.e. anticipation of the crisis and related political and economic consequences. G20 and St. Petersburg Economic Forum were focused on finding ways to overcome the global crisis. The world has not elaborated a turnkey solution against the financial crisis so far. The Russian government as well as the other states has developed its own crisis management plan. Tomsk Oblast has to do the same while working on the budget for the next three years.
At the 10th session the deputies are going to review a considerable list of laws: apart from the notorious law on rallies, define the location of Tomsk Hyde Park with due consideration of the regional legislation; regional law on governor elections; law on reforming the interaction between the federal and regional authorities. The governors are fortunate to take part in the State Council where they can directly communicate primary ideas and challenges of the regions to the national leaders. Now this opportunity was extended to the regional legislative authorities. One example: at the first session the regional and federal deputies discussed approaches how to resolve the most acute challenge of the regions – social support for the children of war.
“I would like to draw your attention to major amendments in the most important fundamental federal laws evoking dramatic changes in the regions. The bill on the ratification of Russia joining the WTO was introduced into the State Duma. Experts have controversial forecasting of consequences for business and national economy on the whole. Positive forecast is given to metallurgy, production of chemical fertilizers, oil and gas industry, and risks are foreseen in consumer industry, mechanical engineering and pharmaceuticals. No need to mention here the agricultural sector. Business will definitely need to adapt to the new environment and together with executive and legislative branches find new mechanisms of support and protection for the national economy,” the Speaker said.
For the first time the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia, including Tomsk Oblast, has initiated a number of federal bills. I would like to focus on one bill only – “On the federal contract system for procurement of goods, works and services” which has already been adopted in the first reading. Unlike federal law 94-FZ, the new law will first change the key idea of government procurement: efficiency will dominate over the obsolete price monopoly. Second, the law will regulate all stages – from planning and order placing to control and audit.
About the agenda. The agenda contains 39 items, among them:
1) The Oblast Law “On Governor elections in Tomsk Oblast” which is going to be adopted in two readings.
2) A package of 2011 budget reports. I would like to underline that the revenue of the Oblast consolidated budget has exceeded 52bn rubles for the first time.
3) The national debt was reduced to 25% of the own revenues of the Oblast budget.
4) Over 15m rubles were raised from the federal budget for the Oblast development.
The agenda also includes the review of the 2012 budget. We will have to increase the expenditure for almost 900m rubles to:
- Increase the salaries of teachers
- Continue building schools in the Oblast
- Reconstruct roads in the Oblast
- Create a prize pool for the Oblast sportspeople – future champions and medalists of the Olympic Games and their coaches
- Start up the facilities of the Special Economic Zone, etc.
