 | | | |
| ||||
|
Sergei Mironov: "Nowadays the Government of the Russian Federation has no right to be the technical cabinet" 22 àïðåëÿ 2014 On April 22, Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation presented to the State Duma a report on the government’s performance in 2013. Sergei Mironov who is the leader of the A JUST RUSSIA faction spoke on its behalf: Dear colleagues, The Government of the Russian Federation has no right to be just "a technical cabinet" and deal with an ordinary economic management when the tension in the international relations increases. Now when times are hard for our country and society, the Government must show its political will and become a strategic assistant to the President of the Russian Federation. That’s why we should not confine ourselves to the news about our tactical success and keep quiet about the opportunities we missed and the systematic failures we had. The historical results of the referendum in the Crimea held on March 16 have become some sort of "a bone lodged in the throat" of the western and pro-Western politicians, but first of all, they are based on the political will of the people of the Crimea, of the President of the Russian Federation, of our whole multinational country, and the political will for reunification of our single nation that was artificially divided. Now, the two new entities of the Russian Federation require development, and it is necessary, by all means, to prevent an automatic transfer of our problems, all our corruption habits, our entrenched bureaucracy and indifference of the officials to the long-suffering land of the Crimea. Just on the contrary, these new entities of the Russian Federation provide us with a unique opportunity to practice in a pilot mode everything that is new, necessary, useful and true. Now a few words about one of the definite proposals made by our faction, our party A JUST RUSSIA in addition to those mentioned at the very beginning of the reunification process when we offered not only to create a free economic zone in the Crimea but also tax exemptions. In particular, our proposal consists of our long-held idea that we have already put forward during reformation of the Ministry of the Interior, I mean, creation of the municipal public security police. Today I must say that a year of work of our experts and lawyers (with the police officers involved) resulted in success, and now we are going to introduce a bill on the municipal public security police to the State Duma. As you know, at present the local self-government bodies are under formation in the Crimea, and the idea to create the municipal police (as a pilot project) right in the Crimea seems to be correct and well-timed because it is the municipal police of the Crimea that might solve the most important issues facing the region and provide security not only for the people in the Crimea but also numerous tourists. Moreover, the police would solve the problems of fighting against the illegal archeological excavations, and preservation of natural and historical monuments. Dear colleagues, now I’d like to say a few words about the macroeconomic indices. The government gives external reasons for the economic growth rate decline. In our view, the main reason is quite different: it is lack of a stage by stage planning of the country development and effective measures for overcoming an excessive social inequality. First, work of the Government still looks like zig and zag. For example, let’s take the problem of development of the Far East and Zabaikalye. Today the main emphasis is laid on formation of the territories of priority social-economic development, with acting special benefits. But let’s have a closer look at these benefits. I’d like to give you just one example. To our regret, some of the benefits are absolutely excessive for the above-mentioned regions. For example, a simplified way of attraction of a foreign workforce, without observation of the existing quotas and the permitting procedures. If we have a genuine desire to develop our eastern territories, the employment priority shall belong to the local specialists. Work on a rotational basis (moreover, with attraction of a foreign workforce) shall be limited in a very serious and reasonable way. But the worst about it is that an authorized state body and an administration company who will deal with priority social economic development on these territories will become their sole masters. It is a complete ignoring of the regional and local authorities.. Moreover, as we can see, at the change of leadership of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, the Buriatiya, Yakutia and Zabaikalye territory were actually excluded from that state program. At first, it was done in an organized way, by expelling the leaders of these regions from Chairman of the Government Commission, and then – de-jure, by not including the above-mentioned regions in the priority development program. I also have to say with regret that the state program on the Far East and the Baikal region pushes into the background the problems of the social infrastructure development. Just think of it, construction of many social objects and their repair are referred to the period from 2020 to 2025. In other words, our Government still thinks that economics consists just of an oil and gas sector, a banking sector and the capital market. But who is to work? Personnel provision of these programs, projects and plans still remains their Achilles’ heel at present. Now the second, it is about the social differentiation. In our view, social inequality in Russia is a critical factor of a low dynamics of economic growth in contemporary Russia. We already spoke about it at the discussion of the Government report a year ago but as we know, no man is prophet in his country. Nothing, absolutely nothing has been done for reduction of the social differentiation in our society since that time. Meanwhile, today we can consider it to be proved that an excessive social differentiation leads (in the result) to the deepest economic recession. I’d like to stress that it is neither we nor social democrats or the left forces who drew such a conclusion but the Monetary Fund that has been very far from the idea of redistribution of incomes in the society before now. The World bank echoes the IMF, and it’s difficult to suspect it of any sympathy to the non-market institutions. The World Bank report "End Extreme Poverty. Promote Shared Prosperity" that has just been submitted says clearly that development of a healthy society depends not rather on the volume of the wealth created in the country but on its equal distribution. The market not limited by the state measures of redistribution makes inequality destructive to contemporary economy. The Government gives a rather superficial estimation of its own social policy. This estimation involves mainly the so-called "statistical average data" which does not give the actual presentation of the dimensions of social differentiation and poverty of our people. Let’s take the salary decrees of the President of the Russian Federation. Reporting about their implementation, the profile ministers mention the so-called "industry average indices" To estimate the actual situation with the wages of doctors and teachers, it is necessary to take not an average wage but a median one, i.e. an average wage of the definite categories, for example, general practitioners, nurses and teachers but not an average wage of all healthcare and education workers. Moreover, in this case, if we recount it, the conclusive result turns out to be by 30 % lower. How is it possible to report about any success in this case? So, there is nothing astonishing about a steady rise of social polarization instead of its reduction despite a positive growth dynamics of the average indices of financial income. Moreover, our Government actually contributes to income polarization. Here is an example: there was issued a direction removing the salary cap of 1 to 8 (the cap we insisted on, as you remember) for a number of leaders of the organizations that made a special list. There were given no criteria in compliance with which some particular organization appeared on the list. That direction seems to have resulted from a dishonest branch lobbying activity. The most effective method for reduction of the gap in income and property between the poor and the rich is a progressive scale of the tax on income of physical persons and the real estate tax. How long can we hover around solution of these problems? There are particular proposals submitted in the form of legislative initiatives. The latest governmental experiments concerning introduction of the so-called energy rations fall within the framework of deepening the social inequality. Increase in the energy efficiency of the Russian economy shall start with the state monopolies and state corporations. Our citizens don’t have to pay for them. Dear colleagues, I’d also like to tell you in brief about some other disappointing results of the government’s work in various spheres. The volume of the loan indebtedness in the agricultural and food complex constitutes 2 bln. rubles. At present, the decrees of the President issued in May foresee the following: 100% provision of primary education accessibility for the children aged three to seven years up to 2016; but in reality it is treated as a refusal to guarantee access to preschool education for the children aged one and half to three. Why has the government been keeping silence? To our regret, the Russian Government has not done the President’s assignment concerning gardeners, it’s Order-149 (I specify it for the ministers). FSUE Russian Post will stop receiving the state subsidies from July 01, 2014 to cover its losses connected with delivery of newspapers and magazines to the people of the country. The absolute majority of subscribers in our country can’t afford subscription to newspapers and magazines at new prices, and it’s easy to guess that the information vacuum is sure to be filled but I doubt that it’ll be done in our favor. Ukraine is a bright example of such a kind where 95 % of the information resources is under control of the pro-American and pro-Nato Media. Of course, the Minister of Education and Science had better find strength to acknowledge a complete failure of the UNE (United National Exam) but instead, he has been making attempts to improve and upgrade it. I’d call it a band-aid approach.. Reforming of the Russian Academy of Sciences is likely to have drastic consequences. And now just a few words about fighting corruption. Our faction thinks that the submitted draft law "On Confiscation of Property" would be a very effective measure. To our great regret we are not heard at all. In conclusion, I’d like to say that closing of a huge gap between the poor and the rich requires not only calculations but political will as well. If there is such a will, it becomes possible to create an efficient system of taxation and provide a sustainable development of the country in spite of any sanctions and in the atmosphere of the heaviest outside challenges. Thank you for your attention
|
