Putin Demands More - Protections for Businesses and Prevention of Money Laundering and Corruption
First of all, about the statements that Vladimir Putin made today at an expanded meeting of the Prosecutor General’s Office Board. According to the President, over the past year, the total number of crimes has decreased. Nevertheless, Russian authorities, including law enforcement agencies, should focus on combating extremism and corruption, suppressing any attempts to pressure business and prevent the laundering of criminal money. The President expects the prosecutors to be proactive in other areas, as well.
Dmitry Petrov will tell you more.
The overall crime level in the country has been declining for five consecutive years. In the past year, it was 5 percent. The President makes it clear that society expects the prosecutors to increase their efficiency, focusing on the protection of the citizens' rights, as usual.
Vladimir Putin: "In cooperation with tax authorities and other agencies, it’s your duty to thoroughly assess the actions of the managers who use payroll funds for other purposes, sometimes completely unrelated to the workers’ interests. Prosecutors must continue to monitor closely the issuance of concessional trip vouchers and the distribution of free medicines, thus ensuring people’s rights in these areas."
Protection of minors should be under special control. Last year, 640 thousand violations were detected, according to the results of inspections. Orphanage children are the most vulnerable. In fact, no one can protect them except prosecutors.
Vladimir Putin: “Please be firm in reacting to all facts of overpricing of apartments acquired for orphans, or trying to get rid of people by giving them unsuitable, low-quality housing that is not fit for living".
Compliance with legislation in the housing sector is a comprehensive topic. Until recently, there were dozens of thousands of co-investors who never got their apartments after handing over the money. But then, interdepartmental groups were created to make sure negligent developers were imprisoned, and construction was completed involving new sponsors. Things got better: In 2017, 140 long-term construction projects were finished, giving more than 6,000 families the housing they'd been eagerly waiting for.
Vladimir Putin: "Another key topic is the situation with local housing and utility services pricing, which is often the result of fraudulent schemes or con groups disguised as building management companies. If you see someone artificially hiking prices, please take prompt and appropriate measures provided by the law. After all, vulnerable groups such as low-income families and pensioners are the first to suffer from unreasonable price hikes, and we’re fully aware of this".
And the poor, in general. But the situation is changing here, too. The government supports them by increasing their benefits every year. As a result, there are fewer orphans and more families who adopt them. Teenage crime is declining.
Yury Chaika, Prosecutor General of Russia: "Prosecutors must focus on the issues of providing families with low incomes with full payment of benefits from the authorities, supporting large families, creating additional places in nurseries and schools. They should draw the preventive agencies’ attention to the timely identification of social orphans to prevent unjustified removal of the child from families using supervisory measures".
Now entrepreneurs can contact prosecutors directly via e-mail. Unjustified and unlawful interference of law enforcement bodies in economic life and business conflicts, as well as obviously paid-for criminal prosecutions against business, are what the President requests to pay special attention to.
Vladimir Putin: "Dear colleagues, I’m sure that you must be aware of this problem at the local level, and it must be dealt with. Let me emphasize that reliable protection of the freedom of enterprise is a key component of economic and national development".
Vladimir Putin asks prosecutors to fight money laundering more resolutely, and to strengthen anti-corruption work drastically.
Vladimir Putin: "Please be as resolute as possible. We’ll provide the necessary political support for the efforts of the law enforcement, and I’m sure that they’ll also receive consolidated support from Russian citizens".
And of course, prosecutors will have more work during the election campaign.
Vladimir Putin: "Please safeguard the constitutional rights of Russian citizens to a free and democratic expression of their will during the preparations for the presidential elections and on the voting day. Honest elections and strict compliance with the law on the voting day constitute the basis of the legitimacy of the state authority and source of public trust."
Finishing the official part of the board meeting, the Head of State congratulated one of the most honored lawyers of Russia, Veniamin Yakovlev, on his birthday. It was him who stood at the origins of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin: "Mr. Yakovlev is an outstanding civil lawyer and, I’d say, a statesman, former Chairman of the Arbitration Court, A couple of days ago, on February 12, he turned 86. Please receive our best wishes! His merits were noted not only by Russian people, as they will be in the future, but even by our overseas friends, who added this 86-year-old man to the famous Kremlin list. It shows you're an important person, so congratulations".
Vladimir Putin asked prosecutors to remember that they have huge power in their hands and they should use it exclusively for the benefit of the country.
Vladimir Putin: "You are bearing a grave responsibility on your shoulders and possess enormous power in your hands. Use it exclusively for the benefit of the country and the state and never to the detriment of any citizen of the Russian Federation. And then, and only then, you’ll fulfill your high mission".
Another important task imposed by the President is the humanization of legislation. It will be continued. The President expects proposals from the Prosecutor-General about some Criminal Code articles to be transferred to the Arbitration Court.
Dmitry Petrov, Pyotr Ravnov, Sergey Rubanov, and Sergey Dovgal, Vesti.