RUSSIA, January 30 - Mikhail Mishustin: “We are achieving goals as planned, with an average progress rate of close to 100 percent for the current tasks. There are significant results in all areas covered by these projects. As for the national goals, the 2023 plan was fulfilled in its entirety.”

Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

Today we are summarising the preliminary results of implementing the national projects. The national projects are key instruments for achieving the development goals set by the President. They are primarily aimed at improving the quality of life.

We are achieving goals as planned, with an average progress rate of close to 100 percent for the current tasks. There are significant results in all areas covered by these projects. As for the national goals, the 2023 plan was fulfilled in its entirety. It was possible thanks to the implementation of state programmes, strategic initiatives and the prompt actions of federal executive bodies and the Government in general.

Let me quote some figures. Let’s take healthcare, for example. Around 900 hospitals, outpatient clinics and paramedic stations were built or restructured. More than 4,000 healthcare facilities were renovated. Almost 2,000 prefabricated modular structures were purchased and installed. Around 14,000 vehicles were supplied.

As per the President’s instruction, agencies responsible for disability qualification now use electronic document exchange systems to review disability documents. The healthcare facilities issue and process disability-related documents based on their data about patients’ medical exams. Thanks to this measure, a person with health restrictions now needs 66 percent less time to obtain necessary documents and certificates.

Serious changes have been achieved in another area that is of high importance to the public. More than 17,000 Point of Growth natural science and technology education centres, 300 Quantorium children’s technoparks, and 260 IT Cube centres were built for students learning about modern information technology and solutions. More than 260,000 additional places in kindergartens were provided for children under three, bringing the respective performance indicator in the national project close to 100 percent.

The contribution of science to economic and social development is growing. Fifteen new research and training centres were launched. They operate based on the combined potential of almost 160 higher education institutions, more than 140 competent organisations and 400 companies.

We are modernising and upgrading shared-use centres with research equipment and unique devices for complex studies. Seven more centres are in development for megascience projects.

Over 700 laboratories led by young scientists were opened. We also started the Leading Engineering Schools programme.

Let’s talk about housing construction. Last year, over 110 million square metres of housing was built, which is 90 percent of what was planned until 2030. This is a record in the history of the Russian Federation both in terms of buildings of flats and houses. The living conditions for 4.3 million families have been improved.

Around 800,000 parents with children obtained mortgage loans at an annual interest rate of 6 percent. Over half of them did so last year, which confirms the popularity of this programme. It is necessary to continue working in this direction, as the President has repeatedly said.

Over the last five years, substantial changes have been made to improve the urban environment. Over 65,000 courtyards and public spaces have been renovated; embankments, central squares and parks have been built.

In 2023 alone, almost 10,000 such spaces were improved or built.

Some 670,000 people were relocated from dilapidated housing; one third of them last year. Overall, the national project has been completed ahead of schedule.

Transport accessibility is being improved as part of the Safe and Quality Roads national project. Over 31,000 kilometres of roads have been built in the country.

We continue to implement the Comprehensive Infrastructure Modernisation and Expansion Plan. The total volume of traffic across the Central Transit Hub was 2.7 billion people between 2020 and 2023; 33 new airport facilities were built in this period.

The operational launch of 18 facilities contributed to an increase of 156 million tonnes in the production capacity of maritime ports.

Notable achievements have been made in environmental protection. For example, the volume of contaminated wastewater discharged into the Volga River has been reduced by 21 percent. Discharges into the Baikal nature territory have also decreased by almost one third. Positive changes in the state of aquatic ecosystems have improved living conditions for nearly 17 million people.

The results in most economic sectors have had an additional positive effect on national GDP dynamics. The Ministry of Economic Development estimates that the annual growth rate is at 3.5 percent. As more data arrive, including for the services sector, among others, the estimate might reach 4 percent. If we compare this with the World Bank’s January survey, the result is much higher than the global average. By the way, growth in Europe, which regularly introduces various restrictions against us, is estimated at almost a zero.

This Russian GDP dynamic is primarily based on an increase in domestic consumer and investment demand due to the implementation of the national projects, among other things.

Last year, for example, we allocated over 1.5 trillion roubles to provide consolidated financial support for small and medium businesses. About 3 million people have registered and taken advantage of a special tax incentive entitled Professional Income Tax. The amount of favourable loans issued to boost the output of agro-industrial products has exceeded 800 billion roubles. Russian agricultural exports have reached almost 3.9 trillion roubles. This is an historical record. Moreover, the percentage of exports to friendly countries has reached 90 percent.

More than 10,000 export companies used the One-Stop-Shop digital platform to obtain state services and various support measures. Last year, the Russian Export Centre signed contracts worth 1.3 trillion roubles, a surge of almost 70 percent on 2022.

A year ago, the President instructed us to focus on six areas. These include expanding foreign economic interaction with promising partners from friendly countries; strengthening Russia’s technological and financial sovereignty; ensuring the priority development of transport, utility, and social infrastructure; enhancing national wellbeing; and of course, protecting maternity and childhood and supporting families with children.

These programmes will be continued in 2024, but we are already aware of the first results.

For example, 8 percent more students have enrolled in universities with majors in IT based on funding from the federal budget. A quarter more products have been entered on the register of Russian software and database solutions. There are many other positive results as well.

Colleagues,

We must keep up the pace. Our goals require continuing positive development dynamics. And, of course, we should make every effort to achieve the planned indicators as we implement the national projects.