Governor of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako: the region’s economy continues to grow at a strong pace
Thanks to the region government’s well-structured investment policy, Primorye continues to demonstrate strong growth rates. Governor of Primorye Oleg Kozhemyako stated this at an expanded meeting with the heads of municipalities and regional ministries, held at the National Centre RUSSIA in Primorye on 12 December.
According to the Governor, investment in fixed capital over the first nine months of the year reached 299.4 billion roubles. This represents an increase of 8.3 percent compared with the same period last year. The regional leadership aims to bring this figure to 466 billion roubles by the end of the year.
"Sixty-five priority investment projects worth 490 billion roubles are currently being implemented in the region. This year alone, we have selected a further nine projects totalling 32 billion. We have learned to work effectively with public–private partnership mechanisms (PPP). This year, five concession agreements have been concluded, and one more is under consideration. In total, 32 concessions and one PPP agreement worth over 67 billion roubles are in force. This is not just statistics: behind these figures are jobs, tax revenues and the development of our cities," said Oleg Kozhemyako.
He added that the small and medium-sized enterprise sector has also expanded. Previously, it employed 275,000 people; now, the figure is 352,000 – real jobs for real people.
Oleg Kozhemyako stressed that the implementation of national projects remains one of the region’s key priorities, as they affect every sphere of people’s lives. On the instructions of the President of Russia, new national projects were launched this year. Primorye is involved in 12 of them, implementing 46 regional projects. More than 30 billion roubles from regional and federal budgets have been allocated for these purposes. As a result, work will be completed by year-end on more than 200 facilities – schools, hospitals, roads, employment centres – and under the national project "Infrastructure for Life", 1.3 million square metres of housing will be commissioned.
In addition, the rental housing programme, implemented by the Housing Construction Development Corporation, is operating in Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Bolshoy Kamen, Nakhodka, and the Khorolsky and Khankaisky districts. A total of 253 rental agreements have been concluded; 30 healthcare workers have already purchased their apartments, including eight this year, the Governor added.
The Governor drew the attention of municipal heads and regional ministries to the construction sector.
"Every construction site must be under constant control – staffing, equipment, resources, weekly and daily planning. Everything must be visible and transparent. Financial discipline must be strengthened: monitor acceptance of work and the movement of funds to subcontractors. Financing schedules and material payments must be met precisely on time. As for equipment – do not wait for the walls to go up. Coordinate the manufacturing and delivery of complex equipment with suppliers in advance. Help contractors resolve issues in your territories. Work with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the migration service. Ensure proper living conditions for labour crews – this is your area of responsibility. Construction must not be halted because of administrative barriers!" emphasised Oleg Kozhemyako.
Summarising the outgoing year and outlining priorities for the next, the Governor of Primorye noted that support for the special military operation remains a key objective.
"It is important for municipal leaders to see how their territories are developing. This reflects the results of their work in supporting the special military operation, assisting the families of its participants, implementing national projects and creating a comfortable living environment that allows residents to see improvements in their communities. These are the criteria by which we evaluate the performance of municipal leaders. We can see positive movement in the economy, growth in investment. Budgets of all municipalities are balanced, with no wage arrears or overdue utility payments in public institutions. Construction continues to grow; schools and hospitals are being renovated. Yes, there are also issues – insufficient attention to construction deadlines, to ensuring that cost estimates and design solutions meet modern standards. If it is a school, for example, it must be convenient and visually appealing. The quality of the living environment in Primorye must continue to improve, and to achieve this we must apply best Russian practices and take global trends into account," said the Governor.
Following the expanded meeting, the head of the region presented awards to the municipal leaders who achieved the most significant results in developing their territories.
Only a few days remain before the opening of the National Centre RUSSIA in the Krasnoyarsk region.
