Address by Oksana Kozlovskaya at the 16th Session
of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast (January 31. 2013)
Duma Speaker Oksana Kozlovskaya delivered a salutary address to the deputies and guests, and briefly summarized the January parliamentary activities.
The Davos Forum has traditionally become the major event of the last month for the global economic society. This is the ground where experts generate the global agenda.
The first day was dedicated to development of Russia and its role in the world economy. It was no wonder as Russia is chairing the G-20. To remind, the G-20 is a group of states securing 90% of the global GDP, 80% of the world trade and 2/3 of the world population.
At the Forum renowned experts showed a number of scenarios of our country’s development. The first foresees the growing gap between the rich and poor regions. The second, which is predictable, talks about the fall of living standards as a result of an oil price drop. The third warns the executive authorities against the refusal to provide institutional reforms, predicting the people’s discontent. Each scenario can be argued over but the goal of Russia is determined by the Russian authorities. This goal is a steady annual growth of GDP by 5%. And this level shall be taken as a guide by all regions.
January is a time to take stock of the last year and start new projects.
In Tomsk Oblast, industrial output grew 2.5%. Fixed investments exceeded 110 billion rubles. After all, what is truly important for us is the quality of life of our people. We made good progress in that respect. Real wages grew 6.1% and real income 3.3%. Over the past year the population again grew by more than 6,500 people.
Consequently, tax and non-tax revenues in the consolidated budget of Tomsk Oblast in 2012 totaled 42.2 billion rubles and exceeded the levels of 2011 by almost 12%.
A milestone event in January was the signing of strategic documents between Sergey Zhvachkin, Governor of Tomsk Oblast, and Aleksey Miller, CEO of Gazprom. This has obviously opened new horizons for the Oblast.
Dear colleagues, 2013 will be quite intensive and busy. Education is first on the row. Before September we shall adopt the Oblast law On education in order to reach alignment with the federal law adopted in December”, the Speaker said.
As to the salaries of workers of educational institutions, Tomsk Oblast has fulfilled its task assigned by the President – to bring the educators’ average salary to the average salary levels in the region.
Moreover, with the average salary in the region being 27,000 rubles last year, the educators’ average salary in the Oblast in December exceed 33,000 rubles. The average salary of kindergarten tutors is 25,000 rubles.
The law-making action plan that we are adopting today is not just 70 items submitted by the deputies, Duma committees and the Governor. These items are socioeconomic development priorities of Tomsk Oblast in the legislative dimension for years ahead.
Stating from February, the Oblast Administration will introduce over 20 strategies to the Duma, including:
– Budgetary strategy and public property management concept.
– Innovation and investment strategies.
– Civil society development strategy.
– Development strategy for key industries, economy sectors and rural areas.
– Development strategy for the housing and utility sector.
– Development strategy for the construction and development industry of the region.
The Speaker introduced two proposals.
First. Extend the federal program Rural Doctor to embrace smaller towns and adopt the same program for educators. It would be reasonable if Duma jointly with the Oblast Administration developed a request to the Government.
Second. Study the experience of other regions and our nearest neighbor, Novosibirsk, in construction of rental housing. Last year, in Novosibirsk, near the Akademgorodok Technology Park, the first rental housing complex was opened. The renters are employees of the resident companies of the Technology Park and young scientists of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Administration and employers compensate half of the rental fee.
A package of bills on the rental housing market development has already been introduced to the State Duma. It will be forwarded to us for resolution soon.
About the agenda of the 16th Duma Session.
– Consider amendments to the Charter of Tomsk Oblast which grant the right of legislative initiative to deputies and senators of the Federal Assembly.
– Study results of the 10th young scientists and talented youth contest for the Award of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast 2012 and approve the names of 35 winners of the contest.
– Review the report of the Tomsk Oblast Administration on providing orphans with housing during the Hour with the Governor.
– Review the report of the Tomsk Oblast Administration on forest fire fighting results in the Oblast
in 2012.
– Review a new Oblast law on wood receiving and dispatching stations. The new law prescribes creation of a wood accounting system from the cutting site to the wood processing site.
– Review amending the law on requirements to passenger taxi services. This issue was added to the agenda by the Duma Council in the first reading after heated debates.
– Elect Duma representatives to the qualification commission in the Chamber of Lawyers of the Tomsk Oblast for two years.
At the Session all the Duma Committees will report on their performance in 2012. For each committee of the Duma of the 5th convocation it will be a new experience.
