OREANDA-NEWS. June 17, 2011. Mainstreams which the republic should follow in its development in the following years and what results it should achieve by 2015 are stated in the program of social and economic development of the region. Its project was considered on June, 15 at the session of the Government of the republic presided by the Head of Karelia Andrei Nelidov. Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Karelia Galina Razbivnaya and Chief Federal Inspector in the Republic of Karelia Alexander Hynninen have taken part in the session.

The program touches upon all major social and economic spheres: industry, public health, sports, education, culture, building, modernization of housing and communal services, tourism, etc. Everything, that it is necessary to be done in the following five years, is focused on achievement of the main purpose of improving the standard and quality of living of citizens of the republic, providing development of industrial, labour and intellectual potential of Karelia.

Presenting the program, Valentin Luntsevich, Deputy Head of the Republic of Karelia and Minister of Economic Development, has pointed out its basic priorities. Among the prime economic tasks there are improvement of investment climate, creation of conditions for development of the real sector of economy and increase of its efficiency, maintenance of steady growth of the republican budget revenues. In the social sphere on the top place there is modernization of the system of public health and education, improvement of the quality and variety of services in the sphere of culture, formation of the market of affordable housing, modernization and reforming of housing and communal services, creation of conditions for stable growth of incomes of the population.

According to Valentin Luntsevich, as a result of the program implementation by 2015 commission of the residential space in the republic should make 350,000 square meters.

It is supposed to raise effectiveness of the forestry and mining industry. For example, increase in production of wood-particle boards and oriented strand boards in the republic is predicted to grow almost 6-fold. By 2015 it is expected to establish 16 sites producing road metal, and the volume of its export should reach 17 million tons.

The region intends to develop its transport infrastructure actively: air communications with Kostomuksha and Pudozh will be established this year, and flights to St.-Petersburg, Arkhangelsk and Solovki will follow.

Besides, in five years in Karelia it is planned to implement 132 investment projects, create 4,000 places in kindergartens, 3,000 of them in Petrozavodsk, to lower dependence of the republic on imported kinds of fuel as much as possible. The tourist traffic in the republic should increase up to 720,000 people, and the volume of tourist and excursion services should double.

It is only small part of what is supposed to be done in Karelia in the next five years. As a whole, it is expected that the economy of the republic will be achieve 26.4% of growth. Intensification of the growth rate of the gross regional product up to 106.5% is supposed due to completion of some investment projects, production of new competitive products, increase of product demand, growth of labour productivity.

The gain of budgetary revenues, as Valentin Luntsevich has reported, is expected to make no less than 5-10% annually, and deficiency of the budget of the republic will reduce up to 5%.

To implement the program it is planned to assign more than 210 billion roubles, including 72,2 billion roubles of budgetary funds. Federal funds will make more than 43 billion roubles and means of the consolidated budget of Karelia will make more than 28 billion roubles. It is planned to involve about 137,8 billion roubles of unappropriated means to finance commercial investment projects.

Valentina Ulich, acting Deputy Head of the Republic of Karelia and Minister of Health and Social Development of the Republic of Karelia has in detail about on implementation of one of the priority tasks of the program – modernization of public health services.

Financial issues within the program were raised by Igor Usynin, Deputy Head of the Republic of Karelia and Minister of Finance of the Republic of Karelia. In his speech he has pointed out, that the program assumes heavy expenses not always supported by incomes.

In the opinion of the Head of Karelia, the program should state points of increase to which the republic aspires even if they are not supported by investment projects.

– If we do not state them, none of the investors comes. It is important, that there is an aim toward which we go. It may change, but there should be one. Mechanisms and methods by means of which we shall achieve digital parameters will vary every year. And corrective amendments will be made in the program annually, – Andrei Nelidov has emphasized.

On results of the session the Government of Karelia has approved the draft program, however, work on its final formulation will proceed. On the offer of the Head of the republic Andrei Nelidov, the program will be in details and carefully considered at the session of the Presidium of the Government of Karelia. After that it will be again offered for discussion and adoption.