Russia’s Great Leap Forward: Medvedev Points Out Staggering Improvement in Country Over 6 Years
Today, the Kremlin announced the date of Vladimir Putin's inauguration. It is scheduled for May 7. According to the Constitution, the government will be dissolved on the same day to form a new Cabinet of Ministers. Also, Dmitry Medvedev presented the current Government performance report to the State Duma. The head of state spent 3.5 hours talking to the MPs.
Alexey Petrov reports on the topics covered.
The government performance report is only minutes away. Chairman of the Government Dmitry Medvedev and Speaker Volodin are on their way to the hall. This government has lasted the longest in modern history, going through a difficult period.
Dmitry Medvedev: "These six years have been an endurance test for the Russian economy. But not only did we survive; we began to grow despite the external obstacles. We have covered as much ground as many other countries did in decades, and under such conditions where nobody neither put pressure on them nor used sanctions and restrictions to deliberately slow down their development".
An important achievement is that the life expectancy is now almost 73 years. A set of measures were taken to prevent Russia from entering a demographic pitfall.
Dmitry Medvedev: "More than 11.3 million children have been born over the past six years, which is 2.6 million or nearly a third more than in the preceding six years. The Russian population has increased by 3.8 million people".
Maternal and infant mortality rates have plunged by almost 1/3 over the past six years. 49 perinatal centers have been built. The amount of state-of-the-art medical care has increased twofold. Now, it's provided in the regions too. Slums have been demolished.
Dmitry Medvedev: "As of March 1st, 678,000 people have moved to new apartments, 10.5 million square meters of such housing has been resettled, which equals an area as big as the city of Izhevsk or Barnaul".
Last year, more than a million families took out mortgages. 26,000 km of interstate highways have been repaired. Most importantly, the quality of life has changed. But not all problems have been solved. For example, maternity leave provisions remain the same.
Olga Okuneva, United Russia party: "Mothers have received a monthly benefit of 50 rubles for years".
Dmitry Medvedev: "The amount of the benefit was set in 1994, so it needs to be looked at again. Despite large-scale construction projects, the issue of housing equity holders remains".
Valentin Shurchanov, MP, CPRF faction: "There are more than 500 thousand nationwide. The necessary decisions seem to have been made, but no real progress has been made".
Dmitry Medvedev: "The number of cheated housing equity holders has been reducing; measures are being taken. If memory serves me right, in 67 regions, the Ministry of Housing and these people have agreed on roadmaps to solve their problem. In the future, we should switch from shared-equity construction to using credit, as far as the housing market goes, just like the the rest of the world does".
The minimum wage has been raised to a living wage for the first time in the country's history. But MPs are concerned about the retirement age.
Dmitry Medvedev: "When deciding on the retirement age, obviously, we should avoid sharp, slick or ill-conceived solutions. But at the same time, the government, the executive branch must still be guided by the existing realities. I think it's time to make such decisions".
Another issue is the retirement benefit of those who continue to work. In the Soviet Union, this was not allowed until the mid-70s.
Dmitry Medvedev: "I remember my grandmother. She would work as an attendant, receiving a retirement benefit of 40-50 rubles and a salary of about 60 rubles. The rest was prohibited. Now those who are receiving a retirement benefit and a salary can get both regardless of the amount".
After the address, various party reps took the floor. They shared their assessments and suggestions.
Gennady Zyuganov, CPRF: "16 billion for agricultural sustainability. 38 million people live in rural areas. Not a single program is funded by the funds that should be allocated to rural areas. Kindergartens in rural areas and so on are in much worse shape than elsewhere. If I were you, I'd allocate 100 billion more to rural areas".
Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma: "The government accomplished the main goals set out in the May Executive Orders, which wasn't easy. But, colleagues, we shouldn't stop at this. A month ago, the President presented a new strategy to the Federal Assembly, setting a fundamentally new task for the next decade. The main goal is to ensure that Russia develops by leaps and bounds".
Sergei Mironov, Just Russia: "Today, 17,000 settlements in our country, mostly small ones, do not have a single medical facility. As in, people don't have access to medical aid. Despite the fact that the life expectancy has been boosted by the President's demographic initiatives, there are still a lot of problems".
Speaking from the pulpit, Vladimir Zhirinovsky recalled family values.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, head of the LDPR faction: "I already have more grandchildren than Zyuganov, I have 9 vs. his 8. And I'll outdo Kobzon, I'll have 11 against his 10. I want a positive picture for us! Our country is the best, our MPs are the best, our governors are the best, our ministers are the best! And the best President! We should be proud of Russia!"
Despite different views, there's something that unites everyone.
Dmitry Medvedev: "We're all different. And that's good. At the same time, those present here are a tight-knit group of people. Why? Together, we sincerely wish prosperity to our country".
The applause shows that the assembly fully agrees with the PM's remarks. The report of the chairman of the government lasted 3.5 hours.
The tenure of Dmitry Medvedev's cabinet wasn't easy. But despite the challenges, the country has been developing steadily. There's no doubt that it will continue to do so.
Alexey Petrov, Ekaterina Agalkina, Oleg Makarov, and Oleg Shavyrin for Vesti.