Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
“Government Hour” in the State Duma, dedicated to current issues of socio-economic and infrastructural development of the Arctic zone of Russia
Yuri Trutnev delivered a report to the State Duma during government hour
Yuri Trutnev delivered a report to the State Duma during government hour
“Government Hour” in the State Duma, dedicated to current issues of socio-economic and infrastructural development of the Arctic zone of Russia
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“Government Hour” in the State Duma, dedicated to current issues of socio-economic and infrastructural development of the Arctic zone of Russia
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev delivered a report at a meeting of the State Duma as part of the “government hour” dedicated to current issues of socio-economic and infrastructural development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.
“Today we are discussing the development of the Arctic – a territory that the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has defined as a geostrategic territory, and the future of not only our country, but the entire world depends on its development. We have already talked about the richest mineral reserves of the Arctic, the Northern Sea Route, and the military-strategic potential. Today, on Polar Explorer Day, we must remember those people thanks to whom the Arctic was opened to Russia and Russia has grown with Arctic territories. For more than 500 years, Russia has been the world’s leading Arctic power. Russian explorers and pioneers – from Dmitry Gerasimov and Semyon Chelyuskin to Ivan Papanin and Artur Chilingarov – ensured the exploration and development of the Arctic.
Today, in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, complex mining projects are being implemented, high-tech enterprises and liquefied natural gas plants are being built, modern research stations and floating nuclear power plants are being created, and new nuclear icebreakers are being laid down at shipyards.
All this is the result of great work of people. Those people who live in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, Norilsk and Naryan-Mar, Anadyr and Salekhard.
What has the Russian Government done to develop the Arctic zone?
The foundation was the work on attracting investments. I will say again, I am sure that this is the right start, because without earning money, but only asking for it from the budget, we are unlikely to achieve any success. The largest special economic zone in the world has been created. In creating it, we relied on the experience of the Far East. The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is better assembled than the preferential zones of the Far East. We already had experience, and what could be done better, what could be differentiated, for example, by the direction of investments, has already been done in the Arctic.
The region has begun implementing more than a thousand investment projects with a total investment volume of more than 2 trillion rubles. 800 billion of them have already been invested in the economy. 293 new enterprises have started operating in the territory of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation.
I consider it very important that the income of the subjects of the Russian Federation has begun to grow. This is precisely the money that can be spent on medicine, roads, schools and other needs of the people. The total volume of income received by the consolidated budgets of the subjects of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation has grown by almost 70%.
Over the past 5 years, within the framework of the implementation of national projects and a single presidential subsidy, more than 60 new hospitals and clinics, 48 schools and kindergartens, 17 sports centers have been built in the Arctic. Decisions have been made to create new university campuses in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.
3.4 million square meters of new housing were built, which made it possible to provide 57 thousand families with new comfortable apartments and houses. Thanks to the mechanism of preferential Arctic mortgages, the extension of which the President supported, 13 thousand families in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation improved their housing conditions. 9 thousand people received a plot of land under the Arctic Hectare program.
As part of the ZATO renovation program, 161 apartment buildings, 37 educational institutions, more than 21 km of roads, 4 housing and communal services facilities were renovated, 14 youth centers were opened, and more than 40 courtyards and public areas were improved.
The economic axis of the Arctic development is the Northern Sea Route. The Russian government has approved a plan for the development of the NSR until 2035. It provides for the construction of 10 icebreakers, 14 seaports and terminals, 3 railway lines, 46 emergency rescue vessels, and 4 emergency rescue centers.
I would like to emphasize that the work on developing the NSR creates conditions for the implementation of production plans for companies such as NOVATEK, Gazprom, Norilsk Nickel, and Lukoil. The taxes paid by these companies alone will ensure the creation of a new tax base in the amount of 13 trillion rubles by 2035. This is the foundation on which we will continue to develop.
A new challenge for us is the implementation of master plans for 16 Arctic core settlements. The master plans provide for the creation and reconstruction of more than 600 infrastructure facilities – roads, airports, housing and communal services, healthcare, culture, sports and leisure facilities – at a total cost of 3.7 trillion rubles, including 850 billion rubles from the federal budget.
All master plans have been prepared and reported to the President at the International Arctic Forum. In accordance with the instructions of the head of state, sections with master plan activities have been created in new national projects of Russia, which has already provided financing for plans in the amount of 106 billion rubles, and taking into account the money that will come from writing off 2/3 of the debt to the subjects on budget loans and treasury infrastructure loans, the amount of co-financing already amounts to 172 billion rubles.
I would like to say right away that this is not enough for us. On the one hand, never before has money come to the Arctic in such a volume. On the other hand, regarding the plans that we must implement, it is not enough. In this regard, I would like to emphasize that two days ago we received letters from some ministries stating that they cannot provide these funds in their area of responsibility. We will not agree with these answers, and we will strive to ensure that the President’s order is implemented in full. Especially since the insufficient funds for the Arctic were announced by the very departments that are the most complained about.
In conclusion, I would like to say that we understand very well that not everything has been done. A lot needs to be done for the Arctic to develop, for the Far East to develop. I am confident that together we will solve all the tasks set.”
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