GROZNY, June 19 (Itar-Tass) — Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has set the task to make the North Caucasus region more attractive to live in and resolve social problems including the problem of high unemployment rates which Medvedev urged to slash from 16 to 5 percent.
“This is our common goal - to improve the quality of life in the region, make the North Caucasus region attractive to live in and ensure safety and stability there,” Medvedev said, speaking at a meeting of the governmental commission on the social-economic development of the North Caucasus Federal District.
It is necessary to concentrate on settlement of complicated tasks, including the problem of unemployment which is one of the tasks of key importance in the region, Medvedev said. He also urged to step up housing construction rates in the North Caucasus Federal District. "In principle, we have specified a control level of five percent, down the current average 16 percent, to which unemployment rates are to be slashed," Medvedev said.
Housing provided to the population should practically grow by one-third, Medvedev said. It is an ambitious task which settlement depends on coordinated activities of the federal authorities on the one hand, and the ministries and heads of the regions which belong to the North Caucasus Federal District, on the other, Medvedev said.
The prime minister urged to encourage business activity to ensure development of business in the region. He reminded of a decision made by the federal government in 2012 to provide state guarantees to the region totally worth around 50 billion roubles.