ARTEM ZDUNOV DELIVERED AN ADDRESS TO THE STATE ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MORDOVIA
On November 15, the Republic Palace of Culture hosted the ceremony for the traditional Address of the Head of Mordovia to the State Assembly of the Republic. Artem Zdunov outlined the key strategic directions for the region's development.
ABOUT THE ECONOMY
Thanks to the increased capacity of enterprises, the gross regional product is growing – this year the economy has grown by another 4%. The industrial production index will increase by almost 10%, with Mordovia ranking among the top five leaders in the Volga Federal District. Small and medium-sized businesses are developing dynamically. The number of SMEs has increased by nearly 10%, and the number of self-employed citizens has grown by more than 42%.
The consumer market is showing positive dynamics. Retail trade turnover has increased by more than 7%, while wholesale trade turnover has grown by over 16%.
This year, a special economic zone has been established in Mordovia. Five industrial residents have already expressed their readiness to set up production at the former premises of the Lisma factory. They will invest approximately 7 billion rubles into the projects and create 900 new jobs.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
“Recently, we have significantly expanded our foreign economic agenda. We have strengthened cooperation with Belarus, China, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and a number of other countries. This year, the volume of foreign trade reached its highest level in the last 10 years. Special attention is given to our friendship with the Republic of Belarus. The task of the Government is to ensure the implementation of all agreements. It is necessary to continue joint projects with companies such as Amkador, MAZ and MTZ, and expand the range of industrial products supplied by our enterprises for the needs of large companies in Belarus. The State Transport Committee, in cooperation with the city administration, should take into account the proposals of MAZ and Belkommunmash in the work on updating the bus and trolleybus fleet.
Another key partner in foreign economic activity is China, which accounts for almost a third of the republic's trade turnover. It is important to note that not only imports are growing, but also exports. In the first half of the year, the volume of our exports to China increased fourfold. Given the agreements reached, I instruct the Government, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic to ensure the implementation of projects with Chinese investors for the production of automotive equipment at the sites of our SEZ and the deep processing of industrial hemp,” the Head of Mordovia noted.
ABOUT AGRICULTURE
The agro-industrial complex of the republic has demonstrated steady growth for over 10 consecutive years. This year, nearly 1.5 million tons of grain were harvested, with the best yield in the Volga Federal District. Over 1 million tons of sugar beets were collected, ensuring the necessary reserves for sugar production. Mordovia maintains leading positions in the production of key agricultural products. Currently, 13 large investment projects worth a total of 30 billion rubles are being implemented in the agro-industrial complex.
This year, the Dubensky dairy complex, the largest in the republic, has reached full capacity. It is designed to house over 6,000 head of cattle and is operated by the Khoroshee Delo group of companies.
By the end of the year, the Mechta milk processing plant, with a capacity of up to 800 tons per day, will reach full production capacity. This enterprise will rank among the top ten largest dairy plants in Russia.
This year, more than 200 million rubles have been allocated to support small farming enterprises. The development of this sector must continue, primarily through grant programs, including new initiatives. Among them are grants for emerging cooperatives and subsidies for private farms to grow potatoes and vegetables.
Among the key priorities is improving the quality of life in rural areas. Under the Integrated Development of Rural Territories program and other federal programs, an unprecedented construction effort is underway this year – a total of 55 projects with funding exceeding 2.2 billion rubles. This infrastructure modernization is something the residents have been waiting for decades. Examples include a clinic, swimming pool, and cultural center in the village of Komsomolsky in the Chamsinsky District, a cultural center and kindergarten in Kemlya in the Ichalkovsky District, and cultural centers in Tatarsky Umyss and Krasnoe Seltse.
ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SECTOR
“Thanks to the support of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, we are improving the quality of financial management. For the first time in the last decade, the Ministry of Finance of Russia has recognized the management of regional finances in Mordovia as appropriate. Now, our own revenues exceed the debt burden. Over the past four years, the revenue base of the republic’s budget has increased by 1.7 times, or more than 17 billion rubles. Our overall goal is to maintain the achieved growth rates and ensure financing sources for this. This is necessary for the uninterrupted solution of social tasks and support for the Special Military Operation. Next year, I set the task of continuing to reduce state debt, including commercial loans. I instruct the Government to organize a systematic approach to debt write-offs in accordance with the opportunities provided by our President. Budget funds invested in implementing investment and infrastructure projects, and modernizing housing and utilities, will be credited towards repaying two-thirds of the budgetary credit debt. Note: we have tested a similar approach to debt write-offs for our municipalities. This year, we relieved the city of Saransk from returning the annual debt payment to the republican budget, and the funds were redirected to modernizing the municipal infrastructure. I propose extending this approach to all districts of the republic, provided that local budget expenditures are directed toward the development of infrastructure in these territories,” Artem Zdunov said.
ABOUT TOURISM
Mordovia positions itself as an attractive region for event tourism. The flow of tourists to the republic is steadily increasing. It was noted that it is important for government authorities to support entrepreneurial initiatives aimed at developing domestic tourism. The republic will identify sites that are attractive for business in terms of developing tourism infrastructure.
An important direction is improving the quality of service and the level of customer care, as well as training personnel in the service and hospitality industry.
In May of this year, international air service was launched at the Saransk airport. Artem Zdunov set a task for the Cabinet of Ministers to work together with the business community and tour operators to propose destinations for expanding the flight network.