OREANDA-NEWS. April 14, 2011. “The reforms have propelled the coal industry’s structure to a whole new level, and now its core is built around modern and quite prosperous enterprises that implement long-term development projects. In 2010, 56 billion roubles was invested in fixed capital, up 30% from the previous year.”

Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.

Let’s start with agricultural issues today. Ms Skrynnik (Minister of Agriculture), we have allocated 25.9 billion roubles, that is almost 26 billion roubles from the budget for spring sowing. But to my knowledge only half of this amount – 12.4 billion roubles – has been transferred to the agricultural producers. What’s the matter? Why haven’t people received the money yet?

Yelena Skrynnik: Yes, Mr Putin. Fulfilling requests from the regions and according to our plan, the Ministry of Agriculture transferred about 30% of the federal programme’s overall funding (amounting to 104 billion roubles) to the producers. We act in line with the signed agreement. But, regrettably, due to poor financial planning and inadequate legislative procedures, the regions have forwarded to agricultural producers on average a mere 56% of the funds transferred by our ministry, although they were supposed to forward 100% of the money.

Vladimir Putin: Why did they send so little?

Yelena Skrynnik: Mr Putin, first, could I speak about those who are working well…

Vladimir Putin: Could you please answer me in plain Russian: we’ve sent them 26 billion roubles – 25.9 billion – but they only transferred 12.4 billion roubles to the agricultural producers. Can you explain why?

Yelena Skrynnik: Mr Putin, I was going to report to you on this issue. We are constantly monitoring the transfer of funds. I speak with agricultural producers and receive reports from them every week. Regrettably, not all regions have adequately drafted legislation and planned for the use of funds, although we are in touch every week. For instance, Udmurtia transferred a mere 29% of the funds sent by our ministry, Dagestan – 12% and the Kemerovo Region – 20%. The Stavropol Territory, and the Voronezh, Kirov and Rostov Regions have transferred all the funds. We are working with those who have failed to do this, and we are demanding that they urgently forward the full amounts of allocated fund to the farms, but some of them have committed violations. This is why I decided to report to you.

Vladimir Putin: Do you talk with them yourself?

Yelena Skrynnik: Yes, I do. We conduct video conferences with agricultural producers to get feedback and report problems during our meetings with governors in order to resolve them together.

But there is more to it, Mr Putin. Regions must co-finance federal allocations and this is not easy. Some regions that transfer the full amount of budget allocations to agricultural producers also co-finance them, but the regions that are lagging behind also fail to co-finance them from their regional budgets. This is why I’ve decided to address you …