Mikhail Degtyarev reported that the President's instruction to restore the labour market to the pre-pandemic level by the end of the year is being implemented. Since October 2020, the number of unemployed has dropped from almost 27,000 to under 8,000. Also, in accordance with the Presidential instruction, allowances for children aged 3 to 7 are now paid to 46,000 preschool children from 35,000 families in Khabarovsk Territory.
According to Mr Degtyarev, the summer vacations campaign started on June 1 with 14 countryside centres now open, which will take in 9,000 children during the summer. Another 352 day camps and 15 work and recreation camps will accommodate 45,000 teenagers during the summer.
With regard to the economy, support is being provided at the federal level and, from August to December 2020, the region received, upon its request, an additional 5.7 billion rubles from the Government to compensate for the shortfall in revenue. The Acting Governor also covered the activities related to the national project Safe and High-Quality Motorways. This year, an additional 89 roads with a total length of 100 kilometres will be repaired. The regional programme for subsidised flights to the north of Khabarovsk Territory has been extended. A programme for developing primary care is being launched. A TB dispensary treatment ward in Khabarovsk, five rural health outposts and outpatient clinics are under construction.
Mikhail Degtyarev asked the President to support several projects, including the construction of a bridge through Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island to the People's Republic of China, a gentrification project in Khabarovsk and a project to create a proton-beam therapy centre at the regional clinical oncological treatment centre.
In his report, Mr Degtyarev covered wildfire prevention as well. The number of wildfires is down by almost 10 times. Also, the Acting Governor expressed his concern about the water level in the Amur River. The forecast is unfavourable, and the necessary precautions are being taken.
Vladimir Putin noted that there have been positive developments in the region, such as an increased volume of construction and an unemployment rate that is lower than the national average, and he suggested continuing to focus on growth in employment, structurally unsafe housing, and availability of social infrastructure facilities.
The President noted a decline in agricultural output in recent years. Mr Degtyarev said this was due to the climate, waterlogged soils and the fact that the reclamation system was built in the 1970s-1980s, but organisational measures are now being taken to resolve this issue. Abandoned rangelands will be reclaimed and provide a forage base for livestock production. The greenhouses are doing quite well, but there is a problem with natural gas supply shortages. Beginning in 2025, Gazprom will start supplying more natural gas to the region.
Vladimir Putin noted that the reason was not just the lack of gas, but also fairly high levels of wear and tear in the energy system, and he asked Mr Degtyarev to pay special attention to this. With regard to agricultural output and some other issues that Mikhail Degtyarev had raised in his report, the President said he would instruct the Government accordingly.
Overall, Vladimir Putin said that during his short term in the governor’s office, Mikhail Degtyarev had gotten to see the key problems and had been working quite energetically. The President wished him success in the upcoming election for the governor’s office, noting that people will vote based not on campaign speeches, but on actual performance.
Mr Degtyarev said he felt great responsibility for the projects that are already underway or planned for the future and, if people showed their faith in him, he was ready to continue to work for the benefit of Khabarovsk Territory residents.