OREANDA-NEWS. May 25, 2009. Dmitry Medvedev presented the main budget policy outlines for 2010-2012 at a meeting with Government Cabinet members and the chairmen of the Federal Assembly Upper and Lower Houses.
 
The President outlined a list of the main budget policy priorities for 2010-2012, including: 

- fulfil social spending commitments and make them more targeted in nature;
- consistent efforts to reduce the budget deficit and raise the level of undistributed reserves in order to be able to make flexible responses to changes in the economic situation;
- stringent cost-cutting measures to save budget money;
- look for optimum means for supporting the country’s manufacturing and industrial sectors and financial system;
- achieve a radical improvement in the quality of public healthcare, education, and other services, including through ongoing implementation of the priority national projects;  
- improve the public procurement system in such a way as to encourage technological modernisation and make manufacturers more effective and competitive;  
- set an economically justified tax burden;
- make the authorities at every level of government responsible for spending budget funds effectively;
- complete work on establishing a balanced and reliable pension system; 
- establish a support system for people with disabilities in line with the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In a change of established procedure, Mr Medvedev personally presented the budget address to the Government. Previously, the budget address was sent as a written document to the Government and the State Duma.

The meeting was attended by the Government members, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and the speakers of the Federal Assembly’s upper and lower houses, Chairman of the Federation Council Sergei Mironov, and Chairman of the State Duma Boris Gryzlov.