The Government of the Russian Federation was instructed to take additional measures to ensure the development of and support for technology companies in promoting their products in the market, scaling production and selling their goods. In particular, the instructions include determining a responsible institution for innovation development.
The Government was also instructed to ensure the introduction of amendments into the legislation on tax benefits when depositing and selling bonds related to the high-tech (innovation) economic sector; the definition of the notion of “technology company” (with consideration for the mandatory use of innovation technology in its operations); the determination of the specific parameters and conditions for the operation of these companies with a view to ensuring their targeted support on behalf of the state.
The instructions also concern measures for countering hepatitis C and diabetes; measures to develop domestic scientific instrument manufacturing for civilian use aimed at import substitution in this area; to enhance the appeal of engineering and the technical professions; to increase financial support for the education of personnel in engineering, technology and technical sciences, in ICT, information security and computer sciences; to produce domestic education and laboratory equipment for general education institutions.
The Government was instructed to draft and endorse a concept for technology development for the period up to 2030. This concept will envision, in part, the goals of this development and the instruments for achieving them; determine those responsible for reaching these goals; draft measures to support innovation development institutions for implementing the concept. The concept should also provide for involving private businesses in this implementation and drafting mechanisms to encourage their participation; and determine the amount and sources of funding for the relevant measures.
In addition, the Government was instructed to adopt measures to update the existing and endorse new strategic areas in the digital transformation of the key economic and social sectors. In the process, the instructions included paying special attention to expanding strategic planning to all economic sectors, encouraging the demand for domestic technological solutions and ensuring technological independence from currently used foreign software.
The Government was also instructed, by involving state corporations and companies with state participation, which have signed agreements of intent with a view to developing and funding individual high-tech areas, to ensure the updating of the key indicators and roadmaps for implementing these agreements with account for the need to achieve technological sovereignty and technological leadership in the mid-term perspective. The instructions emphasise the need for making deputy prime ministers responsible for monitoring the implementation of these agreements, while the First Deputy Prime Minister must oversee the general coordination of this monitoring.
The Government shall present proposals on defining special terms for using foreign software when actual Russian users cannot fulfil their contractual commitments, and on launching a programme for improving communications networks and the quality of access to internet information and telecommunications networks for the period to 2030. In particular, it is necessary to create favourable conditions for developing communications networks and implementing projects on creating fibre-optic communications lines in difficult-to-access localities.
The Government of the Russian Federation was instructed to expedite, in cooperation with the State Duma, the review of the draft federal law on introducing amendments to the Federal Law on Communications and other legal acts of the Russian Federation on ensuring the rights of citizens to telecommunications services; and the draft federal law on introducing amendments to the Federal Law on the Circulation of Medications with a view to conducting a trial of the online retail sales of prescription medicines.
Instructions given to the Government of the Russian Federation jointly with the regional governors concerned measures to staff state and municipal general educational institutions with teachers, including mathematics, physics and informatics teachers and/or upgrading their teaching skills.
Separate instructions were given to the Government of the Russian Federation jointly with the FSB (Federal Security Service) of Russia and FSTEC (Federal Service for Technical and Export Control), as well as with the Opora Rossii national public organisation of small and medium businesses.
The Government of the Russian Federation was instructed, jointly with the Bank of Russia, to introduce into legislation amendments concerning the criteria for identifying rapidly growing technological companies and measures for state support.
The Audit Chamber of the Russian Federation and the Russian Popular Front were advised to analyse the impact of state social assistance in 2021 and 2022 granted under the social contract on reducing poverty and to present proposals on further development.