Rustem Khamitov: "Import substitution, reducing a lag in high-tech industries should become the major trends of our economy development"

UFA, 11 October 2014. /Bashinform News Agency/. On October 10, in Ufa City Palace of Culture, the President of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov delivered a speech at a gala evening dedicated to the celebration of the Republic Day.

Congratulating those present and all the inhabitants of Bashkortostan with the upcoming holiday, the head of the republic said that these days it was customary to estimate the progress reached in the republic, to set new goals taking into account the current realias.

Assessing the lately changed political and economic situation in the country and the world, Rustem Khamitov said that the major historical event that took place in March of this year was a reunion of Russia with Crimea and Sevastopol.

“Bashkortostan among the first began to assist residents of Crimea. In support of the sponsored Belogorsky region residents of the republic collected about 200 million rubles. Supplies of fuel, medicine, food are continued. Dozens of social facilities, apartment buildings and water supply networks were repaired,” the head of the republic said. “Fleeing from the civil war, more than five thousand forced migrants from Ukraine found refuge in our republic. All of them are given accommodation; most of the people are employed. They are provided with medical, psychological and social assistance. Children attend schools and kindergartens. Of course, we will continue to help people who found themselves in a difficult situation.”

According to the head of the region, at present conditions "the task of authorities is to always be with our people, their activities should be clear to people. The main focus should be made on solving the most pressing social problems - boosting employment, increasing incomes, housing and social facilities construction, education, health, culture development, strengthening the protection of those who need help, and on many other areas that address the main goal - continuous improvement of quality of life of our people".

The head of the republic gave an assessment of the economical and social situation in the republic, noting that the lowest unemployment rate had been reached for the recent years. The demographic rates significantly improved. The natural population growth was half as much as the last year’s figures. New health care facilities ready to provide state-of-the-art, high-tech assistance were put into operation. The institutions of general and vocational education received the increased nationwide ratings. The next year the republic plans to provide childcare for all children between three and seven years. Much is being done in the field of culture, significant new projects were successfully implemented. The position of the republic as one of the sports centres of the country strengthened. The republic once again took the first place among the regions at the All-Russian contest for the best organization of sports activities. Among the awards of our athletes there were four Olympic and Paralympic gold medals, one silver and four bronze medals at the Paralympics.

The flagship of the national sport – ice hockey club "Salavat Yulaev" won silver of the Kontinental Hockey League in this season. For the first time in the history of our sport the football team of Bashkortostan "Ufa" reached the Premier League and adequately carries out its first season. This year the republic held an Ice Hockey World Junior Championship at a high-level. Now Ufa participates in a bidding campaign for the right to host the XI World Games 2021.

The head of the republic also marked significant achievements of Bashkortostan in the investment policy, development of agriculture, housing construction, retail trade and other sectors of the economy. However, he mentioned the tasks which the Government would face.

"In general, import substitution, reducing a lag in high-tech industries should become the major trends of our economy development in the coming years. And thus we need efficiency, ability to transform quickly under the new conditions. If there is no coherent interaction between sciences, industrialists, business it will be very difficult to achieve the desired results", Rustem Khamitov said.

"Agricultural sector should be one of the main "drives" of economic growth. We should focus on development of all forms of economic activity, attracting large investments in the agricultural sector. The priority projects, which are implemented currently in the agricultural sector with the total investment of about 60 billion rubles, will increase the competitiveness of our farmers, allowing them to enter the domestic and world agricultural market".

"The State Committee for Entrepreneurship and Tourism is re-established in the republic to protect the interests of entrepreneurs, to organize a system work on business development. Small and medium enterprises should feel its support and widely expanding their work should make a worthy contribution to the creation of new jobs and strengthening the revenue parts of budgets".

The head of the republic expressed his conviction that "it is necessary to expand the republic’s presentation on the national and international level. Our republic sets the task to develop actively foreign economic activities, inter-regional relations with partner countries of Russia, as, for example, with Chinese provinces, regions of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It is important that the next year we will host XII Forum of Interregional Cooperation of Russia and Kazakhstan. The delegation of the republic taking part in the BRICS Summit in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza and the SCO Summit in Dushanbe took up the baton of hosting the next Summits 2015 in Ufa. They will start in less than a year. The main preparations to these global forums are under completion. And yet there is still much to be done in terms of roads repair, construction of hotels and general accomplishment of our capital. Ufa is honoured to welcome the heads of a number of large, fast growing countries, actively building the multi-polar world".

Rustem Khamitov named as one of the main objectives of the republic "to become one of the most developed regions of our country on key parameters of quality of life".

A gala evening was closed with a festive concert of republican artists.