President Vladimir Putin chaired an expanded Cabinet meeting in the Kremlin on Thursday at which Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev reported on the government's plans until 2018. He stated that improving social life was only possible with an economic growth rate of at least 5 percent a year. The premier also stated that it was necessary to step up the work with potential investors in the Russian economy.
The main guidelines for the governments' work were drawn as a traditional form of the so-called "road map" which is the Cabinet's reference point, the Rossiiskaya Gazeta reminds. Former Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov's government had a similar document, as did the Cabinet of Vladimir Putin when he was prime minister. Now the guidelines have been drawn by Medvedev's Cabinet. The only difference is that never before had they been presented at such a high level. "I regard the present document important. It is only by mobilizing all resources that we can work effectively," said Putin who was chairing the meeting. In actual fact, the guidelines which consolidate plans together with the targets the country should attain by 2018 have been well known. The head of state formalized them in his first decrees in May after taking office.
Dmitry Medvedev elaborated on the main development guidelines until 2018, the Novye Izvestia writes. The premier warned that there were "elements of instability and uncertainty" in the Russian economy. Therefore it will be necessity to make strategic decisions that might be painful sometimes. "We need five years of effective development," the prime minister announced. In this period, the economy should grow at 5 percent a year on the average, while investments in the economy should increase two-fold compared with 2012. We have to develop the system of grants, fund science and invite leading world researchers," the prime minister said.
The government's social policy plans should focus on continuing the pension reform and developing education and health care, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta notes... Medvedev promised to keep social stability. If he succeeds, Russia’s population might reach 145 million by 2025. The growth is modest - just two or three million compared with present indicators -- but it is important that it denies the pessimistic prognoses about the inevitable depopulation of Russia. The Premier frequently used in his speech "must", "to lie ahead," and "will be" that one might have an impression he had already travelled to that bright future into which he is now inviting his fellow citizens.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev report on the main guidelines of the government's work until 2018 showed that the incumbent Cabinet officials would keep their posts at least until the autumn, despite the persistent rumors about upcoming reshuffle, the Kommersant writes. The Cabinet gained time for the solution of acute problems not so much with the skill to defend its proposals, as the skill to avoid the public discussion of moot points, the newspaper believes. The Kremlin gives the Cabinet an extra six months for closed-door discussions -- which should not stir up the public -- over faster economic growth up to 5 percent, state investment models and supervising state bodies.
Medvedev's report was not overfilled with the targets the government should attain by the distant 2018, the newspaper underlined. They only announced an increase in non-fuel exports by 1.5 times, an average increase in the production of agricultural products by at least 2.5 percent, and an increase in pensions in real terms by 20 to 28 percent by 2018 compared with 2012. Also, Dmitry Medvedev promised to "increase the indicator of the population's travel behavior by 1.8 times." Other targets had been voiced before. Dmitry Medvedev did not mention the tactic to implement this strategy, about which the Kremlin had long had acute discussion. He only reiterated the target for economic growth, which "should be at least 5 percent a year."