Putin’s speech at SPIEF 2023. Main

From June 14 to 17, St. Petersburg is hosting the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2023). The key event of the forum is the speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the plenary session. The head of state gave an assessment of Russia’s development and its plans in various areas. The main theses of the president’s speech are in the “Kommersant” selection.

• The economic strategy chosen by the authorities and business under the sanctions turned out to be correct and gave a good result. Unemployment is 3.3%. She has never been so low. 1.7 million people left the poverty line last year, and the poverty rate was 9.8%. Russia’s GDP growth is expected to be around 1.5-2% this year.
• Oil and gas revenues in January-May rose by 9.1%. In May, the rate was plus 28.5%. At the same time, budget revenues not related to the oil and gas sector are gaining momentum. Russia is starting to get off the oil and gas needle.
• The current budget deficit is associated with the postponement of planned expenditures to earlier dates. This was done on purpose to increase the pace of implementation of state and regional programs.
• Starting next year, the minimum wage will be indexed by 18.5%. It is planned to double by 2030.
• The course towards the openness of the economy is one of the most important principles of Russia. It is necessary to move to a sovereign economy that does not focus on demand, but forms it. Such an economy presupposes a large-scale build-up of productive forces and the service sector, and the development of advanced technologies.
• The President proposed to declare an amnesty for businesses for forced currency violations during the period of the moratorium on punishment. The moratorium itself is extended to 2024.
• A business that is not associated with risks to life and the environment does not need to be checked at all. Enough preventive measures.
• The President proposed to keep childcare benefits even with the parent’s part-time employment, as well as to enshrine the concept of “part-time employment” in the law.
• The President proposed to at least double the thresholds for large and especially large property damage under a number of criminal articles.
• It is necessary to work out a preferential transitional taxation regime for companies that grow out of the category of small and medium-sized ones.
• It is necessary to raise the thresholds for major and especially major violations in the field of copyright at least twice.
• In the next five years, the merchant fleet will be renewed and about 260 new ships will be built. Funds for this will be taken from the NWF.