The President stressed that the implementation the of FTPs affects the fulfilment of the state’s most important tasks, which the President deals with directly, that is, the security issues, modernization of the national economy, and support of social services.
At the same time Mr Medvedev noted that the work under the Dwelling Federal Targeted Programme scheduled for implementation until 2015 goes reasonably well, and specified that this programme should include measures for integrated development of territories, provision of housing to certain categories of citizens. The President asked the Government to optimize the expenditures given the budget deficit. At the same time such optimization should not become a purely mechanical or arithmetical process, Mr Medvedev pointed out, adding that it is important to look at the overall effect of the decisions taken.
Dmitry Medvedev also touched on the topic of cutting the number of federal civil servants, referring to the suggestion made by Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin to make a 20-percent reduction. The President also noted that a hard measure like this might help to resolve a whole range of problems, but it involves lives of many people. Mr Medvedev gave instructions to prepare relevant proposals.
The President stated that the Government should finalize all financial issues that remain undecided, since the Budget Address, which the President will deliver in June, is already being drafted.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, Deputy Prime Minister and Government Chief of Staff Sergei Sobyanin, Regional Development Minister Viktor Basargin, Healthcare and Social Development Minister Tatyana Golikova, Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yury Trutnev, and Head of the Presidential Experts Directorate Ilya Lomakin-Rumyantsev.