President Dmitry Medvedev has handed 28 orders to the government aimed at fulfilling promises on taxes, children's issues and eased bureaucracy that he made during his annual state-of-the-nation address, the Kremlin said Tuesday.
Children's issues dominate the agenda, with 11 orders, followed by modernization of the economy, with four orders, and the environment, with three, the Kremlin said in a statement.
In line with Medvedev's orders, the payroll tax for small businesses working in production and social sectors will be frozen at a rate of 26 percent for the next two years.
Governors will have to create "favorable conditions for attracting investment," the Kremlin statement said.
Also, the government must draft a bill on state tenders that will "meet the tasks of modernization and innovative development of the economy." The government has come under fire for corruption-tinged tenders.
In addition, minor tax breaks will be introduced for families with three or more children, families will be allowed to use maternity payments from the state to pay their mortgages, a quarter of the money allocated for health care will be directed to children's health care, and social adaptation programs will be introduced for young people emerging from orphanages.
Charities working with children will get tax breaks on their revenues, while nongovernmental organizations providing social services will get more opportunity to obtain state grants through tenders.
New, yet-unspecified pollution norms will be introduced, along with also yet-unspecified measures of support for companies that reduce pollution from their production.
Medvedev made Prime Minister Vladimir Putin responsible for fulfilling 18 of the 28 orders.
Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Naryshkin and Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov will oversee the implementation of an order to introduce proportional electoral systems to cities and municipal districts, and Naryshkin must ensure that socially important federal legislation gets a proper public discussion.
The defense minister is in charge of an order to boost Russia's air defense, missile defense and space control systems by merging them.
The rest of the orders are the responsibility of unidentified federal ministers, as well as regional and local authorities.
The orders have deadlines from Dec. 15 this year to Dec. 1 next year.
Medvedev delivered his address on Nov. 30.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
