Message of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan to the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan "On situation in the republic and main directions of the social and economic policy in 2002"

In internal policy of the Republic the priority was given to preserving stability, strengthening interethnic and inter-confessional accord, perfection of the legislation, the further development of democracy and observance of human rights.

Last year passed in atmosphere of bringing the Republican legislation in conformity with Federal one. The Republic is the form of the state based on free will of people, and the state, as known, does not occur without the sovereignty. We held and are holding that in a federative state there may not be absolute sovereignty. It is divided according to the competence of the Centre and Republics. There is a competence of the federal centre within the framework of which it operates, and there is a competence of Republic within the framework of which it has all completeness of authority. In a new wording of the Constitution we have clearly designated Republic Tatarstan as a full subject of Federation united with Russia on the basis of Constitutions of the Russian Federation and Republic of Tatarstan, and also Agreement on differentiation and mutual delegation of powers.

For us it is extremely important fixing the functions of state languages - Tatar and Russian in the Constitution. The Tatar language, alongside with Russian, must be developed in all spheres of life, including in state field.

In 2000, at the Republic Tatarstan the transformations kept going directed on solving the main problem - growth of standards and life quality of the population. The rates of the volumes of industrial and agricultural production in comparison with average Russia indices were growing faster. The total regional product for 2001 has increased 5,6 % and made 256,0 billion roubles. In the industry of Tatarstan rate of production growth achieved 106,7 %. As a whole the volume of gross agriculture output has made 46,1 bln. RR or 126 % to a level of 2000, over the Russian Federation - 106,8 %. In 2001 continued the growth of real monetary incomes of the population. In comparison with 2000, it has made 110 %. Realization of republican social programs proceeded successfully, the further development received foreign relations of Tatarstan. Federal target program of social and economic development of Republic Tatarstan to year 2006, and the Federal program of preparation for celebrating a 1000-anniversary of the city of Kazan foundation were approved.

Priority direction of social and economic development of republic remains further growth of wages. The monthly average wage in 2002 should make not less than 3900 roubles (prospective growth about 30 %). At the same time it is necessary to achieve full repayment of debts on a work payment.

Our social policy is prioritized for pursuing permanent process of providing public health care, since infancy and finishing old age. Development of sphere of a pension provision in the current year will be carried out in conditions of reforming the system of payments of pensions in the Russian Federation.

In the current year it is necessary for us to develop and ratify the Republican program of reforming and modernization of housing-and-municipal complex which would allow to determine the ways for bringing out the branch from crisis. The program of reforming of housing and communal services of Republic Tatarstan should envisage the complex of measures for providing improvement of quality of housing-and-municipal service, liquidation of subsidies to the branch and its shift to a mode of steady sufficient financing.

The basic orientation of the reforms in 2002 will be the human interests. Thus we, as before, gradually would aspire to transform Tatarstan into region of the European level on the basis of transition to world standards in manufacture and social life.

Competitiveness of the goods, still, remains the main criterion of efficiency of our economy. Its increase acquires a special urgency in connection with forthcoming introduction of Russia into World Trading Organization. The state bodies, the enterprises, scientific institutions should comprehensively study advantages and possible negative consequences for Republic in entering WTO, to carry out beforehand appropriate spadework.

As main principle of development of industrial sector of economy there should be a self-development on the basis of manufacture of competitive output.

Henceforth it is necessary to continue the state support of the enterprises introducing international quality standards and preservation of the environment, applying if necessary the measures of administrative influence. Real progress from improvement of production quality to growth of life quality as a whole is a basic strategic task for which the alternatives are not present.

Entrepreneurship - our main resource for providing necessary level of social and economic self-sufficiency of the Republic, its cities and regions, managing subjects and the population. In 2001 the Republic started system -defined resolving the problems in the field of entrepreneurship development. The State Council of Republic Tatarstan has authorized the State complex program on development of small business for 2001-2004 years, the President of Republic signed the Decree " On assistance to development of private business and support of entreprenuership in Republic Tatarstan ".

The major priority task is the further formation of favorable institutional market environment in the Republic with a view of supporting competition, and also stimulation of innovational sector and small business.

All-round development of small business is to be paid a special attention. At present, the share of the total regional product created by small enterprises makes about 10 %. In our five years' program it is planned to reach the level of 30 %.

In the previous Constitution it was written down, that Tatarstan - subject of international law and that caused protests from the part of the Federal centre. In the Agreement this article is stated in limits in which the Republic participates in international affairs. For these years we have developed in essence our own foreign policy which proceeds, first of all, from our economic interests. Tatarstan has signed tens agreements with foreign countries, has come into working contacts with international organizations, opened the representations abroad. The Republic maintains business and respectable relations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Federal centre has recognized our right to external activity. Life has shown, that we enjoy quite enough those powers in sphere of external activity which we have under the Treaty, as it is fixed in a new wording of Constitution. The foreign trade turnover of Republic Tatarstan for 2001 by virtue of the developed adverse global conjuncture of the oil prices dropped in comparison with 2000 by 1,8 %. However, the commodity structure of Republican export essentially improved in favour of the products with high added cost. It is necessary to keep this positive tendency further.

Positive dynamics of attracting the foreign investments, achieved in 2001 when the volume of foreign investments made 651 million US dollars must be retained also in the current year. Among the far -abroad countries it is necessary to make active trade and economic cooperation with the countries of Southeast Asia and Middle East in which markets Tatarstan products are competitive.