MOSCOW, October 24 (Itar-Tass) —— The government will continue consistent, predictable and responsible economic policy, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told the meeting of the Government Commission on Monitoring Foreign Investment. “It is necessary to pursue consistent, predictable and responsible economic policy. There is a need to improve the business climate and remove all sorts of restrictions and barriers, also to work in the so-called strategic areas,” the premier said.
Therefore, the head of the government said, “a whole package of amendments has been proposed to facilitate the access of foreign capital to the food and medical industries, to the banking sector and to the ‘sensitive’ area of mining of mineral resources.” “On the whole, the very procedure of considering applications of foreign investors is facilitated,” he added.
“Incidentally, according to assessments of various international organizations, we have made a number of decisions this year and last year that will enable our considerable rise in the ratings of our esteemed colleagues next year,” the premier said. “Moreover, according to the assessment of the World Bank, Russia is among the 25 countries that made the most successful reforms in 2010 to improve the business climate,” he said.
Putin said “the government’s task in the present, not easy, situation in the global economy is to create the best conditions to attract capital, creating a sense of protection, comfort and support.” “It is in this way that we can win the competition for attracting capital,” Putin holds.
The premier singled out the promising project in the energy area. “Electricite de France concern plans to set up a company in Russia to introduce innovations and contemporary technologies into management and organization of work at energy facilities,” he said. “There are plans to transfer to that structure the management of all assets of the Tomsk distributing company,” he noted. “I hope this matter will be worked out by responsible departments and will be given support,” Putin said.
He stressed that Russia “is, undoubtedly, interested in major foreign partners with advanced technologies and contemporary management methods and educational and research programs participating in Russia’s energy, housing and utilities and other infrastructure branches.”
“This must, naturally, be a new level of competition and new quality of services provided for our citizens,” he said. “This is a strong impetus to domestic companies for enhancing their effectiveness and for technological renewal. In a word, this is real modernization from which Russia’s economy and every citizen should gain,” Putin said.