Callers raised a few issues in their questions to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Here are a few hot-topic ones and the summary of Putin’s answers:
Economy
Putin said the crisis spread from the United States, sending the entire world economy tumbling. In the numbers he presented:
- Russian economic growth: planned: 7.5 percent; expected: 6.8-6.9 percent
- Inflation: Planned: 12 percent; expected: 13 percent
- Real wage increase: 12.6 percent
- Real pension increase: approximately 12 percent
“It will be a hard period in the world economy and ours as well. … But, you know, Russia has lived through problems even worth than this; it’s more than a thousand years old. Very recently, we remember, in the beginning of the 90s, we faced even problems of protecting our country’s territorial unity, complete disintegration of industries, social sphere. Today the country is in a completely different position.”
To the question of a laid-off worker, Putin spoke about his plan to raise unemployment stipend and encouraged municipalities to work to establish migration and requalification projects.
A question came up about forwarding more funding to the banks as opposed to the needy small and middle-sized businesses. Putin replied that apart from the funds going into the banking support systems, some money is handed to the banks with the hopes to be used for supporting those kinds of businesses through long-term loans.
“We will not allow for sudden jumps in economy and sudden jumps of the national currency value. For that, … we will, if necessary, – and we’ve done that before – carefully use both the gold and monetary assets and other assets the Parliament has.”
Paying out loans
A new Agency on Housing Morgage Loans will serve as a middleman between private custormers and banks, serving as the government’s guarantor.
Gas prices
Oil and gas profits has been allowing Russia obtain quite a bit of gold and monetary assets. This has allowed the country to build up a cusion which might help smoothen the transition during the crisis. Putin, however, never really answered what developement gas prices in Russia will undergo.
Ukraine
Putin said Ukraine owns Russia $2.5 billion in debt for gas provided. He said they are asking to retain last year’s prices, which means Russia continues to transport gas to Ukraine for the price twice cheaper than to the rest of Europe.
“We hope we will reach an understanding with our partners. … But if our partners won’t comply with our agreements or, as in years prior, allow themselves to illegally obtain our resources from the transit pipe, we will be forced to limit the supply.”
The USA
Putin said the election of Barack Obama may lead to more construcation realtions. He said he could see positive signals, including the rejection of Ukraine and Georgia’s pleading to join NATO, refraining from provoking Russia, considering Russia’s interests and slowing down on the military initiatives in Poland and Czech Republic.
The military
The length of the required service will remain 12 months. Putin also said the Defense Ministry will receive 21 billion rubles to buy approximately 10,000 apartments for the families of those in the military. Positions of warrant officers will be eliminated, but Putin said no serving ones will lose jobs.
Europe
Putin called Europe the largest partner for Russia. More than 53 percent of Russia’s commodities’ turnover is through Europe. Most of it is, of course, in the area of energy and oil and gas. Many European investors are allowed into the sectors of energy and elctricity.
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of extraneousness, a lot brought in from the past, a lot of fobias, especially among the so-called “young europeans. But I think, over time these countries … will realize on should look into the future and not linger in the past.”
