In the beginning of the meeting the President noted that the overall situation in the Khabarovsk Territory has been quite satisfactory in terms of the key sectors and indicators. Industrial production and the GRP have been rising, and so has external trade, which grew at a robust pace. Nevertheless, the President suggested that they discuss the challenges, too.
Mikhail Degtyarev said that the region ended 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 with good results, including a 1.8-fold rise in the shipbuilding sector. He went on to note that aircraft manufacturing was also a success, mentioning the Su-57, Su-35, Sukhoi Superjet New and Baikal, an aircraft that is expected to go into production this year. In 2022, industrial production increased 2.5 percent. The region also reached record gold extraction figures, and its cargo turnover has been growing.
The Governor then turned to the production of sleeping bags, tents and Yerofei tactical all-terrain vehicles for the special military operation and the army. In addition, he talked about the assistance the region provides to Debaltsevo in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Last year, the region rebuilt a kindergarten, a children’s activity centre, a library and a sports complex there.
The discussion also touched upon the construction of rental housing for defence sector employees and the progress in offering people free connection to the gas distribution network. By 2025, the region will connect 20,000 households by laying 270 kilometres of pipelines and bringing the number of communities connected to 21. The region put into operation eight important social facilities this year and is expected to build over 400,000 square metres of housing in 2023.
The Khabarovsk Territory is launching new production sites, the Governor pointed out. The project to develop the Malmyzh copper deposit got off the ground, with the construction of a major mining and processing plant already underway. The construction of the second stage of the Amur Hydrometallurgical Plant is also underway, and so is the Thermal Power Plant 4. Construction of a new plant, Amurbas, started in 2023. The Pacific Railway is another unique project worth 140 billion rubles in investment. In a year, 100 km of track have been laid. A port with a capacity of 30 million tonnes is under construction near Chumikan. This railway offers access to mineral deposits. To launch their development, the President must take a decision to this effect, Mikhail Degtyarev pointed out.
The President and the Governor also discussed demographics, the effort to adjust social benefits for inflation, the construction of a single campus for several universities, and healthcare. Answering the President’s question, the Governor spoke about the development of the phthisiological service and the completion of a TB dispensary in Khabarovsk. He also said that a kidney transplant department has opened, and 14,000 people have already received high-tech medical care there in 2022. The Governor also reported on the construction of a children’s hospital complex in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.