Vyacheslav Fedorishchev noted that over three months of his work (he has been Acting Governor of the Samara Region since May 31, 2024) he learned, based on the feedback from the region’s residents, that there are problems related to road facilities and utilities infrastructure, which require a priority investment development. He reported that about 30 investment projects totalling over 240 billion rubles would be completed as early as this year. The focus is on cooperation with large enterprises, state-owned companies, private companies. Small businesses, which are active in the Samara Region, get involved in this work, in the field of machine building and components.
Vyacheslav Fedorishchev also reported on the support for servicemen and families of participants in the special military operation. Specifically, to support its veterans, a regional programme has been developed, the Samara Region School of Heroes, as a follow-up to the Time of Heroes national programme. It will be launched on October 1. The fifty people who made the decision to gain new knowledge and competencies will be trained under strong educational programmes and will be offered jobы both at the Samara Region Government and municipal bodies.
The President pointed out that among the veterans there are many of those who are ready and seek to get new skills and knowledge and are prepared to continue their active work in civil structures.
According to Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, the region is rendering assistance to the city of Snezhnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, where the region performed works at about 70 facilities, including preparations for the heating season and major building renovation.
As for the new areas of socioeconomic development, the Acting Governor said that the economy was stable. GRP this year will reach three trillion rubles, adding 3.5 percent. The budget revenues will increase by ten percent year-on-year. Based on the foregoing, a five-year programme of socioeconomic development has been drafted. There are tasks to be addressed, in particular, the sufficiency of medical personnel. The County Doctor programme is being expanded with additional payments for doctors in the most needed professions: anaesthesiologists, paediatricians, emergency doctors, neuropathologists. The goal is to upgrade the system itself, as about 50 percent of hospitals require both major and current repairs. A decision was made to expand the programme for the construction of paramedic centres: over 200 such centres will be opened in the next five years.
However, some projects will require federal assistance, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev stressed. In particular, two extremely important projects connected with fighting cancer were devised in the past few years – a surgery block for the regional children’s hospital in Samara, and a new block for the oncology hospital in Togliatti. The Acting Governor asked the President to give instructions to the Government to work out a co-financing scheme with the regional authorities.
Commenting on Vladimir Putin’s remark about the worsening of the situation in agriculture, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said that they expected a good grain harvest of about 2.5 million tonnes this year, but it is true that the farming area should be increased. Besides, the region has not yet become self-sufficient in many types of products. That is why agricultural producers are offered expansion opportunities, including tax incentives and investment allowances. Increasing regional support, with a minor federal co-financing, is to be discussed with the Ministry of Agriculture. The goal is to become self-sufficient within three years.
Other issues discussed included modernisation of public transit fleet, which is 90 percent of it is worn-out, the need to repair 2,200 kilometres of roads in the next five years, relocation from dilapidated housing, the construction of new residential districts with good social infrastructure, and large road construction projects, including renovation of the main traffic artery in Samara.
The Acting Governor also pointed out that the region’s industrial development depended on the combined efforts of science, innovation and industry. The design of a large interregional campus in Samara is nearly completed. It has been decided that this major project should include Togliatti, which has a large university that trains professionals, in particular, for the regional drone technology centre. The campus will be completed in the next three years, and this will allow the region to attract talented young people from across the country. The new campus will accommodate over 5,000 students. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev emphasised that there were many interesting jobs in the Samara Region, and the university was a driver for implementing its economic plans.