The Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast
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Almost 500 resolutions over 6 months
RIA Novosti Information Agency held a press conference with Oksana Kozlovskaya, Speaker of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast (02.07.13). The subject of the discussion was the performance results of the Tomsk Oblast Duma over the first six months of 2013.
In the first half of 2013 the Oblast Duma deputies considered and adopted 490 regulations, including 113 laws and 377 Duma resolutions. Some of the laws are new, other laws were amended and modified.
According to the Speaker, budget is the key focus area of the Duma.
“The consolidated budget of the Oblast today is 54 billion rubles in revenues and almost 60 billion rubles in expenditures. The gap of 6 billion rubles is covered by deficit.”
She reminded that the year started with totally different budget numbers.
Priorities of the 2013 budget are to raise salaries of workers of budget-funded organizations (their salaries have grown 126% and totaled almost 21 billion rubles), continue doing major overhaul of deteriorated residential buildings and relocating people from condemned buildings, and finance the development of the agricultural sector.
Oksana Kozlovskaya emphasized continued efforts to finance the Rural Doctor program. She also reported that modern equipment was purchased for oncology centers and federal social security beneficiaries were provided with medications. The law on providing housing to large families resumed its force (62 families have already received housing under this law).
“The Oblast has been fully delivering on its social commitments. There is no doubt that they all will be successfully completed at the end of the year.” According to the Speaker, milestone events in the economic policy were the appeal of the Tomsk Oblast Duma to the Russian Government on phased increase in insurance benefits for entrepreneurs, adoption of the construction industry development strategy, and actions to fight illegal logging.
At the press conference Oksana Kozlovskaya answered the journalists’ questions on expectations of a new wave of financial crisis and possible consequences; on the probability of adding a Communal Needs line to utility bills and potential changes in the public utilities legislation; on the federal contracts system law; on the work of the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia. Answering the question on the most important result of the 15th Innovation Forum, the Oblast Duma Speaker named cooperation plans of Tomsk Oblast and Gazprom “a true breakthrough”.
She is confident that the 15th Innovation Forum which was held in a new “raw materials oriented” format, did the region good.
“Regardless of one’s attitude, the well-being of the region and country in the nearest future will depend on the oil and gas industry. How long this well-being will last will depend on the development rate of the alternative energy sources. And their development is fast. Estimations vary, but the general forecast for the oil and gas industry to dominate is 20 to 30 years. That means that not only us but our children as well have to live in this reality. And it is absolutely right in this situation to focus our efforts on the development of innovations in this sector.”
The Gazprom CEO’s announcement that Gazprom would create at least two science and research centers in Tomsk is a very serious indicator, a litmus test for others – if Gazprom is interested, that means that there is intellectual potential, there is something to gain. That is “a true breakthrough”.
© The State Duma of the Tomsk oblast, 2007-2024