ID :
158796
Thu, 02/03/2011 - 10:29
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/158796
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Putin to chair meeting on housing construction in regions.
MOSCOW, February 3 (Itar-Tass) -- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will
travel to Kirov on thy, February 3, to chair a meeting on the development
of housing construction in regions.
The discussion will focus on regions' housing construction programmes
and prospects for increasing housing construction 1.5 times by 2015 to 90
million square metres nationwide.
According to the Federal Service for State Statistics, 58.1 million
square metres of hosing were commissioned in Russia in 2010. Four federal
districts (Southern, Siberian, North Caucasian, and Far Eastern) increase
housing construction by 1.2 percent, 5.1 percent, 6 percent, and 7.6
percent respectively.
The Urals, Central, North-Western, and Volga federal districts
reported a decrease in housing construction by 10.3, 9.3, 3.1, and 2.9
percent accordingly.
On December 17, 2010, the federal government approved the programme
"Housing" for 2011-2015, which is the main mechanism for implementing the
priority national project "Affordable and Comfortable Housing to Citizens
of Russia".
The programme includes a set of measures to make housing more
affordable by increasing the construction of economy class housing that
meets energy saving and environmental requirements. The government plans
to provided 620.7 billion roubles for the programme, including 291.2
billion roubles from the federal budget.
Regions have drafted and approved their own housing construction
programs adjusted to the programme "Housing". These programmes should
increase housing construction in Russia to 90 million square metres by
2015.
Regions that have achieved the best results will get 21 billion
roubles in subsidies from the federal budget within five years.
Putin will visit the Solnechny Bereg neighbourhood, which is being
developed by the Kirov region together with the Federal Fund for the
Development of Housing Construction.
The construction of the first residential house in the neighbourhood
began on March 2, 2010 and three sections were finished by December 1,
2010. A total of 130 flats with the combined floor space of 6, 644 square
metres were commissioned in 2010. Fifty of them were provided to World War
II veterans.
Putin will also meet with members of the Kirov region branch of the
United Russia party and the city public to discuss current problems facing
the region.
.IMF urges Belarus to cut payment deficit, stop borrowing currency
from banks.
WASHINGTON, February 3 (Itar-Tass) --The International Monetary Fund
said the payment deficit in Belarus is "too high" and needs to be reduced
"quickly", according to a statement issued on Wednesday, February 2, by
the head of the IMF mission to Belarus, Christopher Jarvis.
An IMF team led by Jarvis visited Belarus during January 25 to
February 2, 2011 to continue consultations with the Belarusian authorities
and other stakeholders. The team met with Prime Minister Myasnikovich,
Deputy Prime Minister Rumas, Finance Minister Kharkovetz, Minister of
Economy Snopkov, Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of the
Republic of Belarus Prokopovich, other senior officials, representatives
of banks, and the diplomatic community.
"The current account deficit is too high. The government and the
National Bank of the Republic of Belarus should take action quickly to
bring it down. Our estimate of the current account deficit was about 16
percent of GDP in 2010 and if macroeconomic policies are unchanged we
project only a small reduction in the current account deficit in 2011,
reflecting an improvement in the terms of oil trade with Russia following
the December 2010 agreements," the statement said.
Jarvis said the main causes of the high current account deficits in
2010 and 2011 were "the rapid credit expansion and significant increase in
budgetary wages and salaries in late 2010."
"The authorities recognise that reducing the current account deficit
and building up official reserves should be high priorities in 2011. They
have already taken some steps to reduce the current account deficit,
including tightening monetary policy, using the flexibility available to
them within the exchange rate band, and setting a target for overall
credit growth in 2011 which is significantly lower than the increase in
2010," he said.
Jarvis believes that the authorities should go further, and "our
recommendations for the reduction of the current account deficit are very
similar to those we made in November 2010: a combination of tighter fiscal
policy, cutting net lending under government programs, keeping interest
rates positive in real terms and more exchange rate flexibility."
He expressed concern about "the sharp increase in foreign currency
borrowing by the National Bank from Belarusian commercial banks at the end
of 2010" and urged the National Bank "to stop such borrowing, and we
welcome the NBRB's decision not to increase the level of this borrowing
further during 2011. We recommend implementing tight macroeconomic
policies as the best way to maintain and increase foreign exchange
reserves."
-0-zak/
travel to Kirov on thy, February 3, to chair a meeting on the development
of housing construction in regions.
The discussion will focus on regions' housing construction programmes
and prospects for increasing housing construction 1.5 times by 2015 to 90
million square metres nationwide.
According to the Federal Service for State Statistics, 58.1 million
square metres of hosing were commissioned in Russia in 2010. Four federal
districts (Southern, Siberian, North Caucasian, and Far Eastern) increase
housing construction by 1.2 percent, 5.1 percent, 6 percent, and 7.6
percent respectively.
The Urals, Central, North-Western, and Volga federal districts
reported a decrease in housing construction by 10.3, 9.3, 3.1, and 2.9
percent accordingly.
On December 17, 2010, the federal government approved the programme
"Housing" for 2011-2015, which is the main mechanism for implementing the
priority national project "Affordable and Comfortable Housing to Citizens
of Russia".
The programme includes a set of measures to make housing more
affordable by increasing the construction of economy class housing that
meets energy saving and environmental requirements. The government plans
to provided 620.7 billion roubles for the programme, including 291.2
billion roubles from the federal budget.
Regions have drafted and approved their own housing construction
programs adjusted to the programme "Housing". These programmes should
increase housing construction in Russia to 90 million square metres by
2015.
Regions that have achieved the best results will get 21 billion
roubles in subsidies from the federal budget within five years.
Putin will visit the Solnechny Bereg neighbourhood, which is being
developed by the Kirov region together with the Federal Fund for the
Development of Housing Construction.
The construction of the first residential house in the neighbourhood
began on March 2, 2010 and three sections were finished by December 1,
2010. A total of 130 flats with the combined floor space of 6, 644 square
metres were commissioned in 2010. Fifty of them were provided to World War
II veterans.
Putin will also meet with members of the Kirov region branch of the
United Russia party and the city public to discuss current problems facing
the region.
.IMF urges Belarus to cut payment deficit, stop borrowing currency
from banks.
WASHINGTON, February 3 (Itar-Tass) --The International Monetary Fund
said the payment deficit in Belarus is "too high" and needs to be reduced
"quickly", according to a statement issued on Wednesday, February 2, by
the head of the IMF mission to Belarus, Christopher Jarvis.
An IMF team led by Jarvis visited Belarus during January 25 to
February 2, 2011 to continue consultations with the Belarusian authorities
and other stakeholders. The team met with Prime Minister Myasnikovich,
Deputy Prime Minister Rumas, Finance Minister Kharkovetz, Minister of
Economy Snopkov, Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of the
Republic of Belarus Prokopovich, other senior officials, representatives
of banks, and the diplomatic community.
"The current account deficit is too high. The government and the
National Bank of the Republic of Belarus should take action quickly to
bring it down. Our estimate of the current account deficit was about 16
percent of GDP in 2010 and if macroeconomic policies are unchanged we
project only a small reduction in the current account deficit in 2011,
reflecting an improvement in the terms of oil trade with Russia following
the December 2010 agreements," the statement said.
Jarvis said the main causes of the high current account deficits in
2010 and 2011 were "the rapid credit expansion and significant increase in
budgetary wages and salaries in late 2010."
"The authorities recognise that reducing the current account deficit
and building up official reserves should be high priorities in 2011. They
have already taken some steps to reduce the current account deficit,
including tightening monetary policy, using the flexibility available to
them within the exchange rate band, and setting a target for overall
credit growth in 2011 which is significantly lower than the increase in
2010," he said.
Jarvis believes that the authorities should go further, and "our
recommendations for the reduction of the current account deficit are very
similar to those we made in November 2010: a combination of tighter fiscal
policy, cutting net lending under government programs, keeping interest
rates positive in real terms and more exchange rate flexibility."
He expressed concern about "the sharp increase in foreign currency
borrowing by the National Bank from Belarusian commercial banks at the end
of 2010" and urged the National Bank "to stop such borrowing, and we
welcome the NBRB's decision not to increase the level of this borrowing
further during 2011. We recommend implementing tight macroeconomic
policies as the best way to maintain and increase foreign exchange
reserves."
-0-zak/
