Address by Oksana Kozlovskaya at the 15th session of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast (December 20, 2012)
Duma Speaker Oksana Kozlovskaya delivered a salutary address to the deputies, Tomsk Oblast Governor, community leaders and journalists attending the last Duma session in 2012.
“The very same day the year before the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast had a kickoff meeting and today we are summarizing the results of our first parliamentary year.”
In 2012, the Duma adopted 823 regulatory acts, including 247 laws of Tomsk Oblast.
Feedbacks on 191 federal bills were submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation. It was the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast who summarized the proposals of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia and submitted amendments to the second reading of the law on a federal contract system which dramatically change the rules of the game in the public procurement system of Russia, especially in respect of innovation products.
The Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast developed and submitted to the Russian State Duma amendments for the second reading of the bill on education. The amendments fixed the necessity to take into account public opinion when a school is closed down and make school principles and their deputies eligible for school teachers’ social support.
The agenda of the 15th session contains consideration of 23 federal bills, including amendments to the law On national strategic planning which defines the 30-year strategic planning horizon in Russia and its regions.
“I would like to highlight a remarkable change in the relationship between the federal center and the region that took place in 2102. In December, chairs of regional legislative assemblies resumed their participation in the Annual Presidential Address meeting. The next day President Vladimir Putin held a very helpful meeting with the Council of Legislators where the most pressing matters of the regions were openly discussed. Chairpersons of both houses of the Federal Assembly Sergey Naryshkin and Valentina Matvienko hold regular meetings and consultations with the leaders of regional parliaments. At those meetings we raised very important subjects and achieved coordination of efforts at all government levels in increasing payroll in state-funded organizations through creating a special Federation Council Commission, and ensuring social protection for workers of enterprises undergoing privatization. Our concerns were heard and relevant actions were taken.
“Getting back to the Presidential Address, I will highlight the most important points for Tomsk Oblast. The reserves of the commodity economy have been exhausted. Further growth is not possible without reaching a new technology wave, developing innovation technologies and producing intellectual product.
“That means that the course set by Tomsk – building a knowledge-driven economy and innovation-based development – is right!
“And equally right are current actions in supporting and developing the “creative class”, young people, urban and rural intellectuals.”
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The agenda of the 15th session of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast contains 25 items. The agenda was intentionally made shorter than usual, given the importance of the scheduled discussion of the main financial document – the 2013-2015 budget.
The Conciliation Committee consisting of Duma deputies, Oblast Administration representatives and the Chamber of Audit and Accounts of Tomsk Oblast increased the revenues of the Oblast budget by 1.61 million rubles and expenditures by 3.9 billion rubles.
The major portion of revenues (940 million rubles) comes from the federal budget. They are budget equalization transfers and partial compensation of regional expenses to increase state-funded payrolls.
Tax and non-tax revenues of the Oblast budget were increased by 120 million rubles.
Three priority areas are proposed to spend this money. They are the areas which receive the most attention of our voters.
First is the Clean Water program. The Oblast allocated 75 million rubles. It is proposed to add 25 million rubles more.
Second, the Conciliation Committee suggests allocating 45 million rubles to expand the regional road fund and increase spending on roads inside and between villages.
Third, repairs of apartment buildings. The first version of the draft budget provided 50 million rubles. The Conciliation Committee suggests doubling this amount.
The budget provides money for major social purposes such as increasing payroll for 11 categories of employees of state-funded organizations in the first place. Salaries will grow 20% to 75%.
As a result, in 2013 the payroll portion of the consolidated budget of Tomsk Oblast will exceed 21 billion rubles.
The Oblast budget also provides funds to reduce by 40% the deficit of the territorial compulsory health insurance program.
We should also take into account that the 2.8 billion rubles budget deficit becomes the main source of new social commitments.
Final adjustments of the 2013 budget are among the top priorities in today’s agenda.
More than 620 million rubles will be spent on equipment for medical institutions, wages for forest fire fighters during the summer forest fires, and support for the farming sector. Allocations to complete the reconstruction of the Tomsk airport are 160 million rubles.
