The central issue discussed at the meeting was the federal law ”On the federal budget for 2000“, and the schedule for drafting corresponding government resolutions necessary to implement it. The acting president urged the cabinet to get ready for intense work on the budget, warning that no requests to increase spending items unsupported by real sources of financing would be accepted. The country can resort to foreign loans only to develop the real sector of the economy, and only when it cannot be done with domestic resources, he emphasized.
The meeting also discussed improving the efficiency of federal executive state bodies and toughening control over the implementation of government's decisions. Mr Putin instructed the cabinet to draft proposals on changing government structure to bring it in line with the Russia's development strategy, currently being drafted.
The meeting's participants also discussed ways to improve the country's education system. The acting president said he was dissatisfied with the declarative nature of the national education development project under discussion and asked the cabinet to suggest proposals for its improvement in the nearest future.