Belarusian blogger sets up a parody bank and token as a joke and unexpectedly becomes a millionaire
NEO: Why pick-up points for online orders are gaining popularity vs. home delivery
First sighting of Belarusian jailed opposition leader Viktor Babariko in two years
Russia, Belarus make first cross-border digital financial asset transactions
Putin congratulates Trump, signals hope for improved US-Russia relations
The World Reacts to Trump 2.0
Antidepressant sales in Russia hit record high amidst growing war stress
COMMENT: No, Russia is not facing a banking crisis
The Bavarian branch of far-right AfD party calls for all Ukrainian refugees to be expelled from Germany
War in Ukraine started as punishment for masturbation, says Russian Orthodox Church
Russia reports successful strikes against critical Ukrainian gas and energy infrastructure
COMMENT: With Trump back in the White House, Europe may need to turn to Turkey to strengthen its security
Love in the Baltics in a time of war
Emerging Europe split between eager anticipation and wary acceptance ahead of Trump inauguration
airBaltic CEO and IPO under pressure after flight cancellations
COMMENT: The EU’s Green Deal is a “policy disaster”
Spike in Czech beer exports to Russia highlights cracks in Moscow-bound trade and businesses
Czechia wraps up work on pipeline expansion to end reliance on Russian oil
Czech industry falls by 2.7% y/y in November in another disappointing performance
Analysts ponder why Viktor Orban is skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration
China's Xinzhi creates 900 jobs with €120mn investment in Hungary
Polish central bank NBP turns up hawkish message as it holds rates at 5.75% again
Polish President Duda says Ukraine should join Nato as soon as possible
Slovakia’s populist PM Fico faces no-confidence motion
Slovakia’s Fico steps up anti-Ukraine rhetoric over gas cut-off
Absent Slovak premier traced to luxury hotel in Vietnam
OUTLOOK Southeastern Europe 2025
The EU Council calls for a European geothermal action plan
Sanctions stepped up in the Western Balkans, but with mixed results
Albania, Italy and UAE to build €1bn Adriatic subsea cable
BALKAN BLOG: Trump’s annexation remarks risk reigniting Balkan border disputes
Bulgaria’s new cabinet slammed as ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ by opponents
Croatian deputy PM resigns after video shows him firing pistol from car
Dispute with Croatia over Jadran training ship could block Montenegro’s EU entry
Kosovo shuts down Serbian parallel institutions, escalating tensions with Belgrade ahead of elections
Moldovagaz’s head says $709mn debt to Gazprom close to being settled
Leader of Moldova’s separatist Transnistria flies to Moscow to settle energy crisis
Russian presidential adviser warns Moldova may “cease to exist”
Poll reveals dominance of far-right presidential candidates in Romania
Wages in Romania complete two-year growth cycle, but the outlook deteriorates
Mass protests in Serbia test ruling party's grip on power
Serbian financial sector inflation expectations decline in December
Syria says staging grounds for attacks on Turkey will be thing of the past
Number of Turkish energy M&As edges up to 30 in 2024
ISTANBUL BLOG: “Dog bites man” story as Erdogan arrests more mayors, but there’s more here than meets the eye
PANNIER: Tajikistan, Taliban tone down the hostile rhetoric
Central Asia emerges as new e-commerce hub
Growing Islamic finance in Central Asia to unlock GCC investment
CSTO states express serious concern over terrorist threat in Afghanistan
New US strategic partnership could be revolutionary for Armenia
COMMENT: Armenia makes a strategic turn from Russia towards the West
Armenian prime minister discusses EU membership plans with European Council president
OUTLOOK: Caucasus 2025
Fatal road accident triggers widespread protests in Azerbaijan
Gas exports to Europe to boost Azerbaijan's growth over next decade
Two abducted in central Tbilisi following ‘anti-mask law’ protest
Thousands of Georgians walk out of work in three-hour "warning" strike
Georgians still resisting: the view from Rustaveli
Georgian Dream MPs attack Georgian citizen in Abu Dhabi restaurant
Kazakh central bank’s dollar sales to mirror gold purchases
EBRD delivers 26% expansion in investments in 2024, commits record €16.6bn across economies
Kazakh services conclude 2024 with marginal drop in activity, PMI shows
Central Asian leaders look to expand mutual trade
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway officially launched, but sidetracked at least until summer
Angry Mongolians take to streets in public backlash over taxes and smog
Mongolia revives traditional "Ghengis Khan" script bichig
Smog back with a vengeance in Ulaanbaatar
Iran, Tajikistan sign 23 cooperation agreements in landmark visit
A tale of two Tajikistans: the macro and micro realities
PANNIER: Why the Turkmenistan, Iran gas “friendship” is back on
Uzbekistan privatises HUMO, Paynet succeeds with $65mn bid
Russia’s war machine fed by free-flowing exports of Uzbek “guncotton” pulp, say reports
Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean after explosion
Russia's budget oil breakeven price world’s second lowest as oil revenues recover
Southeast European countries look to Algeria to diversify energy supplies
Slovenia turns back to Algerian gas after flirtation with Russian supplies
IEA: Access to energy improving worldwide, driven by renewables
The hurricane season in 2024 was weird
Global warming will increase crop yields in Global North, but reduce them in Global South
Hundreds of millions on verge of starvation, billions more undernourished as Climate Crisis droughts take their toll
Global access to energy starts to fall for the first time in a decade, says IEA
Saudi Arabia hosts kingdom's first Africa summit, to boost ties, promote stability
Putin at 2023 Africa-Russia summit: Wiping debts, donating grain and boosting co-operation
Botswana throws the diamond industry a lifeline
Nelson Mandela worried about natural diamonds, Leonardo di Caprio defended them, makers of lab-grown stones demonise them
Botswana’s 2,492-carat diamond discovery is golden opportunity to replicate legendary Jonker diamond's global legacy
Kamikaze marketing: how the natural diamond industry could have reacted to the lab-grown threat
Russia’s Rosatom to support nuclear projects across Africa at AEW2024
JPMorgan, Chase and HSBC reportedly unwittingly processed payments for Wagner warlord Prigozhin
Burkina Faso the latest African country to enter nuclear power plant construction talks with Russia
IMF: China’s slowdown will hit sub-Saharan growth
Moscow unlikely to give up Niger toehold as threat of ECOWAS military action looms
CAR mercenary becomes first African to die in Ukraine conflict
Overcoming insecurity to unlock the Central African Republic’s mineral riches
Rain, rain go away
Africa, Asia most people living in extreme poverty
10 African countries to experience world’s fastest population growth to 2100
EM winners and losers from the global green transformation
Russia seeks to expand its nuclear energy dominance with new international projects
EBRD warns of risks for emerging markets pursuing industrial policies
Russia blocks UN Security Council resolution on Sudan humanitarian crisis
G20 summit wraps up with a joint statement strong on sentiment, but short on specifics
SDS storms fed by sand and dust equal in weight to 350 Great Pyramids of Giza, says UNCCD
Southern Africa has 'enormous' potential for green hydrogen production, study finds
Malaysia seeks BRICS membership
Kazakhstan has no plans to join BRICS, says Astana
Sri Lanka to apply for BRICS membership
From oil to minerals: Gabon’s ambitious mining transition
How France is losing Africa
Guinea grants final approvals to Rio Tinto for $11.6bn Simandou iron-ore project
Mixing with the running stars at Kenya’s Home of Champions high altitude training camp
Kenya’s untapped mineral wealth holds the promise of economic transformation
US adds 17 Liberian-flagged bulk carriers and oil tankers to Russian sanctions-busting blacklist
Panama and Liberia vying for largest maritime registry
Force majeure at Libya’s Zawiya Refinery threatens exports and oil expansion plans
Russia, facing loss of Syrian base for Africa operations, seen turning to war-torn Sudan or divided Libya
Libya’s mineral riches: unlocking a future beyond oil
Russia funding war in Ukraine via illegal gold mining in Africa – WGC report
Ukraine claims it was behind massacre of Wagner Group mercenaries in Mali
Can Morocco's phosphate wealth put it at the centre of the global battery supply chain?
Hajj aftermath: deaths, disappearances and detentions spark investigations across world
Sri Lanka's LTL Holdings targets African power sector
Russia's nuclear diplomacy binding emerging markets to the Kremlin
Can Niger's military junta seize the country's uranium opportunity?
Disaster season: heat waves sweep the world – in charts and maps
AI will be a major source of GHGs by 2030, says Morgan Stanley
Niger and beyond: Francophone credit delivers coup de grâce
EBRD 2023: Bank to expand into the whole of Africa plus Iraq
Global coal trade approaches its peak
The world has passed peak per capital CO₂ emissions, but overall emissions are still rising
Trump threatens BRICS with tariffs if they dump the dollar
SITREP: Middle East rapidly destabilised by a week of missile strikes
Colombian mercenaries trapped in Sudan’s conflict
Air France diverts Red Sea flights after crew spots 'luminous object'
COMMENT: Tunisia on the brink of collapse
Tunisian President Kais Saied re-elected for second term
WHO declares "global public health emergency" owing to mpox outbreak in Central Africa, new virus strain
Climate crisis-driven global food security deteriorated between 2019 and 2022 and is even affecting the US
Cost of repairing Syria’s power infrastructure put at $40bn by electricity minister
Indian banks' profitability to moderate in FY26
Former chief of the Bank of Japan sees more rate hikes on the horizon
Is China ready for Trump’s tariff threats?
Google enters India’s carbon removal market with biochar deal with Varaha
Renewables Down Under, and under the Long White Cloud
CHN Energy connects Rudong Solar Hydrogen-Storage project to the grid in China
Microsoft to invest $3bn in India
International highway tears through Bosnia’s rural heartlands
Japan’s ramen shops face crisis as rising costs push more to bankruptcy
Seoul-listed DoubleU acquires 60% stake in Turkey’s Paxie Games for $27mn
Singapore’s PacificLight Power embarks on $735mn hydrogen power plant project
India's Competition Commission approves major steel industry acquisition
Trump vows to block Nippon Steel's $14bn bid for US Steel
HESS: Mongolia’s unique success story between rock and a hard place at risk
Mongolia copper-gold discovery hailed for “globally significant” prospects
Starlink satellite internet has more than 30,000 users in Iran
Russia sells stakes in Kazakhstan uranium JVs to China
COMMENT: Gulf states court Russia but stop short of strategic shift
Bahrain's security chief meets Syrian commander amid diplomatic push
Bahrain and Iran to begin talks on normalising relations
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait set to offer Russians visa-free entry
Iran seeks to expand nuclear power cooperation with Russia's Rosatom
UPDATED: Hamas military leader thanks Iran, vows resistance will continue
Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei leads funeral prayers for slain judges
Iraq seeks Iran-backed militia disarmament in new push
Iraq's London moment marks its post-Saddam era's coming of age
Iraq, BP to sign major Kirkuk fields deal worth over $27bn
Israeli military seizes large weapons cache in Syrian territory
Israel and Hamas reach agreement on hostage deal, Trump confirms
Damascus International Airport resumes operations
Turkey, Syria tandem could mean piped Qatari gas for Europe and a supercharged Middle East clean energy transition
Qatar-Turkey-Europe gas pipeline ambition could be back on following fall of Assad
As jubilant Syrian refugees in Turkey celebrate Assad downfall, analysts wonder what comes next in power vacuum
Syrian foreign ministry urges Kuwait to reopen embassy in Damascus
Kuwait greenlights tax deal with Iraq to prevent double taxation
Iran demands 'equal footing' with Kuwaiti and Saudi plans to drill for gas in Gulf
French president in Lebanon to meet the country's new leaders
ICJ's Nawaf Salam appointed as Lebanon's new Prime Minister
Lebanon faces a new phase: will Hezbollah surrender its weapons to the state?
Lebanon ends two-year void with military chief Aoun as president
US winds down Guantanamo Bay with removal of Yemenis to Oman
So you want to get on the right side of Donald Trump? Try gift-wrapping a hotel
ANALYSIS: Regional escalation on the table following Israeli strike on Iran
Syria seeks Qatar support in rebuilding effort as ministers meet in Doha
Qatar joins regional powers in Damascus diplomatic outreach
Yemen launches missile at Israeli base amid US-UK airstrikes escalation
Iran's former foreign minister proposes new MWADA regional security framework
New Syrian Administration seeks to rejoin Arab League
Dubai's Damac plans $20bn US data centre investment
Argentina announces ambitious nuclear programme linked to AI development
Latin America set for tepid growth as Trump tariff threat looms, ECLAC says
Latin America urged to boost tax take and private investment to close development gap
IMF: Breaking Latin America’s cycle of low growth and violence
COMMENT: Trump’s White House picks signal rocky start with Latin America
Latin America trapped in low growth cycle, ECLAC warns
Bolivian President Arce declares "coca is not cocaine" as country expands coca industry
Bolivia's lithium deals with Russia, China raise sovereignty concerns as state bears heavy risks
Bolivian ex-president Evo Morales faces formal charges of human trafficking
Brazil court blocks Bolsonaro from attending Trump inauguration over flight risk fears
Geothermal energy poised for major global expansion, says IEA chief Fatih Birol
Iranian influx to Venezuela via Colombia triggers regional security fears
Cuba prisoner release after terror delisting marks last-gasp reset in US ties before Trump return
Brutal gang violence over failed voodoo spell claims nearly 200 lives in Haiti's capital
EU and Mexico strike historic trade pact
Amazon Web Services to invest $5bn in Mexico digital hub push
Mexico unveils curbs on Chinese imports in overture to Trump
Russian exiles flee war and persecution, seeking refuge in Mexico
Panama rejects Trump's military threats over canal control
Paraguay stands firm with Taiwan amid growing Chinese pressure
Peruvian president's secret plastic surgery ignites scandal
Murder exposes secret prostitution ring in Peruvian Congress
BRICS bank chief touts Uruguay membership in Montevideo talks
Italian aid worker held without charge in Venezuela for two months
Venezuela’s Maduro sworn in for third term as international criticism mounts
Venezuelan opposition leader Machado released after brief detention
Bangladesh’s BNP urges interim government to expedite elections
Bangladesh revokes former Prime Minister Hasina’s passport
Bangladesh explores tank purchase from Turkey as India receives request for Hasina’s extradition
Controversial 10-GW hydropower project in Tibet greenlit by Beijing
China's coast guard deployment raises tensions in South China Sea, Philippines protests
Balancing growth and sustainability: Southeast Asia’s energy dilemma
US imposes preliminary duties on Southeast Asian solar imports
Angkor Archaeological Park attracts nearly 700,000 foreign tourists in nine months
Japan establishes diplomatic mission to NATO as ties to Russia, China deteriorate
China signals willingness for dialogue with US as Beijing accepts invite to attend Trump’s inauguration
Trump to give thumbs up on expedited arms supply to Taiwan
Peru's APEC summit exposes trade tug-of-war between Beijing and Washington
Rising gold ETF inflows set to drive global bullion prices
Russian exports of diamonds to Hong Kong up 18-fold in 5M24
Gazli Gas responds to reports on Uzbekistan project, refutes any suggestion sanctioned individuals are involved
Trump Tantrum impact on the Indian rupee expected to be temporary
Navigating the four year long India-China border standoff
Russia backs Vietnam's bid to join BRICS
Indonesia joins BRICS despite concerns over potential Trump threats
Japan moves to compensate victims of forced sterilisation
North Korea issues warning in response to air drills with B-1B bombers
BCPG to invest $945mn in power projects, prioritising clean energy
Hundreds of children killed or injured in Myanmar in 2024: UNICEF
Myanmar junta to allow observers for controversial 2025 election amid ongoing conflict
Over 120 dead as powerful tremor hits Tibet
Nepal floods - death toll rises to 209
Kolkata hospital rape and murder case sparks international outcry, raises questions
South Asia hit by floods and landslides after heavy rainfall
North Korea escalates tensions with ballistic missile launch ahead of Trump's inauguration
Prosecution, overthrow or death – how most South Korean presidents have met their political end
North Korea claims breakthrough with new hypersonic missile test
Russia’s arms exports slump, Kremlin preparing for possible war with Nato
Security personnel dead as Imran Khan’s supporters breach Islamabad lockdown
Pakistan could quit TAPI as India now “extremely lukewarm” on gas pipeline project, says report
Papua New Guinea tribal conflict leaves 30 dead amid gold mine dispute
Extreme weather surges in 2024
ING: India is likely to remain the region's fastest growing country in 2025
Kamala Harris to visit Singapore, Bahrain and Germany on final vice-presidential overseas trip
South Korea’s central bank freezes rates amid weakened economy and political turmoil
Korean president cites health concerns in bid to avoid further questioning
Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports in October up 18.22%
Taiwan's first execution in five years sparks human rights backlash
A surge in influenza cases, rare COVID symptom hit Taiwan as Lunar New Year approaches
BRICS expands membership, adding Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand
German Prosecutors Confirm Termination of Money Laundering Investigation Against Alisher Usmanov
Comments by President of the Russian Fertilizers Producers Association Andrey Guryev on bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin
PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC green chemistry research grants awarded for the 8th time to world's best young scientists
PhosAgro Tops RAEX ESG Ranking
Download the pdf version
Try PRO
Since he was elected for a fourth term in May 2018, Russian president Vladimir Putin has tried to show he was serious about rubbish. The issue has rocked Russian politics for nearly two years now, as exasperated locals in the Moscow region started in the summer of 2017 to protest against toxic vapours emanating from nearby landfills.
In January 2019, Putin announced the creation of a national rubbish monopoly tasked with coordinating investments to modernize waste collection systems across the country. This wasn’t his first stab at the issue however: a year ago, he had already demanded the government to put together a strategy to “eliminate all unauthorized dumps” and create “an integrated system for the treatment of solid municipal waste” as part of the “May Decrees.”
More than 25,000 protestors took to the streets in Arkhangelsk in December 2018 to demonstrate againt a smelly landfill
These decrees are a series of objectives for the next six years, and have been published since 2012, but this time they were divided into 12 “national projects” with the aim of modernizing and revitalizing the Russian economy and society. The details are still being worked out and many questions remain. Many of the “plans” are no more than bullet points and the source of funds for billions of dollars of investment remain vague in many sections.
One key point is that these national projects as they are described in the decree are not actual, specific projects. Rather, the decree sets up a list of priority sectors in which investment should be made (demography, healthcare, education, living conditions, ecology, roads, labour productivity, science, digital economy, culture, small business and international cooperation) but doesn’t specify what exactly should be done or how much money should be invested (a recap of the 12 national projects as they appear in the May decree is included at the end of this article).
The wording of the decree did show a shift in the government’s priorities, from social policies and the military in 2012 to infrastructure, healthcare and digital issues in 2018. Some national projects such as labour productivity or small businesses were not mentioned in the 2012 decrees, but the most striking difference is probably the fact that any mention of the military or the defence sector are entirely absent from the May 2018 Decree. (There’s a single exception, a reference to the military-industrial complex in the “ecology” section: “improving the quality of drinking water through the modernization of water supply systems using water treatment technologies, including technologies developed by organizations of the military-industrial complex.”)
Passport to prosperity
Starting in September, ministries started publishing “passports” for each of the 12 national projects detailing the financing as well as the actual tasks (along with their completion date) for each section. It’s on this passport that the first mention of a “federal waste operator” appeared, as the idea was absent from the initial May Decree. Financing was, during the summer, a hotly negotiated topic: in late September, RBC reported that the budget for the “ecology” national project had jumped from RUB1.5 to RUB6.4 trillion, though the published version of the passport brought it down to RUB4 trillion ($60.7bn).
The publication of the passports provided much-needed details to projects which, in the May Decrees, remained exceedingly vague: the “healthcare” national project is for example one of the longest in the decree and includes ambitious targets such as decreasing infant mortality to 4.5 per 1,000 births (it is currently sitting at 6.5 – the US is at 5.7) or decreasing the mortality rate of the working population to 350 per 100,000 people (from 477 in 2017). But the tasks set out to achieve these objectives were closer to a wish list than an actual plan, with bullet points such as “introduction of innovative medical technologies,” “formation of a system to protect patients’ rights” or “development of a network of medical research centres.”
The passport, by contrast, divides the national project into eight sub-projects, giving detailed tasks for each of them as well as completion dates. The sub-section “development of the primary health care system” is divided into 35 points with specific provisions such as “replacement of 1,200 worn out healthcare centres and ambulance stations” or “construction of no less than 78 helicopter landing platforms for medical organizations.” The total budget for the healthcare national project is, according to the passport, RUB2.2 trillion ($33.4bn) to be spent between 2019 and 2024.
On a more anecdotal note, the size of these passports also give a good idea of the state’s priorities: with 90 pages, the document for the “digital economy” national project stands way above most other projects (usually between 35 and 50 pages long).
Dancing digits
Despite these additional details, doubts persist over the feasibility of the projects as well as their relevance: head of the Audit Chamber Alexey Kudrin criticized the national projects in January, saying he “had not seen” the final version and the current projects were mostly “numbers and indicators dancing.” Kudrin also claimed the national projects would not be enough to achieve growth rates that would put Russia among the top 5 of the world’s biggest economies. For this, “institutional and structural steps” are needed, according to him. The former Finance minister has long lobbied for major structural reforms, including in sensitive areas such as an overhaul of the justice system and renewed anticorruption drive, to improve the business climate and kickstart economic growth.
A month earlier, Kudrin raised more specific concerns about the “ecology” national project, noting that “more than 80%” of the project’s financing” was based on extra-budgetary funds, while there was still no clear understanding of how the funds would be raised.
Financing will likely remain the key issue for the projects’ completion. Existing state programs are already being updated to fit with the national projects, the government announced in early January: the state program "Employment Assistance,” which was started in 2014, will, for example, be amended to include the cost of additional formation for workers close to the retirement age who face threats of dismissal, one of the provision of the “employment” national project. The Economy ministry’s “Economic Development and Innovation Economy” program will also be changed in order to deal with four national projects: “Small Businesses”, “Digital Economy”, “Demography” and “Labour Productivity”. Overall, Kommersant reports, the financing of these programs should jump from RUB871.4bn to RUB1.6 trillion ($24.3bn) to put them in line with requirements of the national projects.
Despite this, the state will be asking Russia’s big companies to make an effort too: in December, Putin called on businesses to participate in the implementation of the national projects, especially in the labour productivity sphere.
DEMOGRAPHY
FIGURES
SELECT QUOTES
Raise the healthy life expectancy to 67 years old
“Support the life of senior citizens and raise their standards of living”
Reach 55% of people who regularly practice sports
“Create a system to motivate citizens to live a healthy lifestyle, including healthy diet and rejection of harmful habits”
Achieve an increase in the total fertility rate to 1.7
Achieve a 100% accessibility (by 2021) of preschool education for children under three years of age
HEALTHCARE
Decrease in mortality rates of the working age population (up to 350 cases per 100 thousand population)
“Introduction of innovative medical technologies, including early diagnosis systems and remote monitoring of patients’ health”
Decrease in mortality from circulatory system diseases (up to 450 cases per 100 thousand population)
“Complete the formation of a network of national medical research centers”
Decrease in mortality from neoplasms, including malignant ones (up to 185 cases per 100 thousand population)
“Improve the mechanism to export medical services”
Decrease in infant mortality (up to 4.5 cases per 1 thousand born children)
Increase the volume of exports of medical services by no less than four times compared to 2017
EDUCATION
Ensure the Russian Federation ranks among the 10 leading countries for the quality of its education
“Update contents and improve teaching methods for the subject “Technology””
“Modernization of professional education, including through the introduction of adaptive, practice-oriented and flexible educational programs”
“Double the number of foreign citizens studying in educational institutions of higher education and scientific organizations and implement measures to employ the best of them in the Russian Federation”
LIVING CONDITIONS AND CITY RESOURCES
Increase in the volume of housing construction to at least 120 million square meters per year
“Reducing the administrative burden on developers and improving the regulatory framework”
30% increase of the urban environment quality index
“Creation of mechanisms for the development of a comfortable urban environment and the integrated development of cities”
“Creation of mechanisms for the relocation of citizens from housing unsuitable for residence”
ECOLOGY
Elimination of all unauthorized dumps found on January 1, 2018 within cities
“Creation of an integrated system for the treatment of solid municipal waste, including the elimination of landfills and the recultivation of the territories in which they are located, the creation of conditions for the recycling of all production and consumption wastes prohibited for disposal”
20% reduction of the total amount of pollutant emissions into the air in the most polluted cities
“Creation and effective functioning in all subjects of the Russian Federation of a public control system aimed at identifying and eliminating unauthorized dumps”
Increase in the area of specially protected natural territories by 5 million hectares
“Ecological rehabilitation of water bodies, including a project aimed at reducing by three times the proportion of polluted wastewater discharged into the Volga River, the sustainable functioning of the Lower Volga water complex and the preservation of the ecosystem of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain”
Creation of at least 24 new specially protected natural areas
“Creation of infrastructure for ecological tourism in national parks”
ROADS
Decrease in mortality due to road accidents by 3.5 times compared with 2017 - to a level not exceeding four people per 100 thousand population
“Introduction of new technical requirements and standards for the arrangement of roads, including on the basis of digital technologies to eliminate places where road traffic accidents are concentrated”
Increase in the share of regional roads that meet regulatory requirements in their total length of at least 50 percent
“Introduction of automated technologies of traffic management and control of traffic rules”
Decrease in the number of hazardous areas on the road network by half compared with 2017
“Implementation of a publicly accessible information system to monitor the use of road funds at all levels”
LABOR PRODUCTIVITY AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT
5% growth (at least) of labor productivity in medium and large enterprises
“Reduction of regulatory and administrative constraints that impede productivity growth”
Annual involvement of at least 10 subjects of the Russian Federation in the implementation of this national program
“Introduction of advanced managerial, organizational and technological techniques to increase labor productivity and modernize fixed assets, including through the provision of tax preferences”
Involvement in this national program of at least 10 thousand medium and large enterprises not part of the primary sector
SCIENCE
Ensure the presence of the Russian Federation among the world’s five leading countries engaged in research and development
“Ensure the attractiveness of working in the Russian Federation for Russian and foreign leading scientists and young promising researchers”
Update at least 50% of the equipment used in scientific research
Creation of at least 15 world-class research and educational centres
DIGITAL ECONOMY
3x spending increase on the development of the digital economy (by share of the GDP)
“Creation of a sustainable and secure information and telecommunications infrastructure for high-speed transmission”
“Use of primarily domestic software by government agencies, local governments and organizations”
CULTURE
Creation of virtual concert halls in at least 500 Russian cities
“Strengthening the Russian civic identity based on the spiritual, moral and cultural values of the peoples of the Russian Federation”
“Create the conditions for showing national films in cinema halls located in settlements with a population of up to 500 thousand people”
“Promoting talented youth in the field of musical art, including through the creation of a national youth symphony orchestra”
SMALL BUSINESSES
Reach 25 million people employed in small and medium enterprises, including individual entrepreneurs
“providing favourable conditions for the activities of self-employed citizens through the creation of a new tax regime with automatic transfer of information about sales to the tax authorities and exemption from the obligation to report”
Reach at least 10% of exports in the non-primary sectors from small and medium-sized businesses
“Creation of a digital platform focused on supporting the production and sales activities of small and medium-sized businesses, including individual entrepreneurs”
“Simplification of access to concessional financing, including the annual increase in the volume of concessional loans issued to small and medium-sized businesses”
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND EXPORTS
Reach 20% of goods and services exported from the manufacturing industry, agriculture and service sector
“Reduction of administrative procedures and barriers for international trade, including the abolition of excess requirements for export licensing and currency control, and organizing (by 2021) a single-windows system
Exports (in value terms) of non-primary non-energy goods in the amount of $ 250 billion a year, including engineering products - $ 50 billion a year and products of the agro-industrial complex - $ 45 billion a year, as well as volume exports of services in the amount of $ 100 billion per year;
“Elimination of logistical restrictions on the export of goods using rail, road and sea transport, as well as the construction (modernization) of checkpoints across the state border of the Russian Federation”
1,5x increase of the volume of trade between the member states of the Union
“Completion of a common market Union for goods, services, capital and labor within the framework of the Eurasian Economic, including the final elimination of barriers, restrictions and the abolition of exemptions in economic cooperation”
Register here to continue reading this article and 8 more for free or purchase 12 months full website access
Register to read the bne monthly magazine for free:
Already registered
Google Captcha Failed!
Password could contain only a-z0-9\+*?[^]$(){}=!<>|:-_ characters and have 8-20 symbols length.
Please complete your registration by confirming your email address.
A confirmation email has been sent to the email address you provided.
Forgotten password?
Email field can't be empty.
No user with this email address.
Access recovery request has expired, or you are using the wrong recovery token. Please, try again.
Access recover request has expired. Please, try again.
To continue viewing our content you need to complete the registration process.
Please look for an email that was sent to with the subject line "Confirmation bne IntelliNews access". This email will have instructions on how to complete registration process. Please check in your "Junk" folder in case this communication was misdirected in your email system.
If you have any questions please contact us at sales@intellinews.com
Sorry, but you have used all your free articles fro this month for bne IntelliNews. Subscribe to continue reading for only $119 per year.
Your subscription includes:
For the meantime we are also offering a free subscription to bne's digital weekly newspaper to subscribers to the online package.
Click here for more subscription options, including to the print version of our flagship monthly magazine:
More subscription options
Take a trial to our premium daily news service aimed at professional investors that covers the 30 countries of emerging Europe:
Get IntelliNews PRO
For any other enquiries about our products or corporate discounts please contact us at sales@intellinews.com
If you no longer wish to receive our emails, unsubscribe here.
Magazine annual electronic subscription
Website & Archive annual subscription