On inflation and the unemployed
Putin said that accumulated inflation in the country since the beginning of the year has exceeded 11 percent, but now inflation growth is “slowing”.
“This year has been difficult. <...> But when I say difficult, I do not mean that all these difficulties are associated with a special military operation. [на Украине]because in countries that do not carry out any operations, for example overseas, in North America, in Europe, inflation is comparable.
<...> To be honest, it’s surprising to me that many times we even have less. [инфляция]”Given the special circumstances we live in, it’s not a place where nothing like this happens,” Putin said.
He emphasized that inflation should not exceed 15 percent by the end of 2022. Annual inflation in April reached 17.8%, the highest since January 2002, according to Rosstat. At the same time, Rosstat recorded deflation (the decrease in the general level of prices of goods and services) in May at 0.02%. According to the Ministry of Economic Development, annual inflation slowed down to 17.51 percent as of May 20.
Putin noted that the Russian economy “has a much better dynamic than some experts predict”. The unemployment rate has become “slightly lower,” as the president put it. Now it’s 4%.
“We <...> He proceeded from the fact that even an increase in unemployment is possible, and it is declining. “We need to value that and analyze what’s going on in the most careful way,” he said.
Minister of Labor and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov stated that at the meeting of the State Council as of May 25, approximately 673,000 unemployed people are registered in employment centers in the country. He described the situation in the labor market as stable.
“Also, we took measures to support, say, citizens who lost their jobs after March 1,” said Kotyakov.
About support for the army and the restoration of Ukraine
Putin promised at the State Council meeting that the authorities would double childcare allowances for female soldiers by up to a year and a half. The president announced that his fixed benefits are now just over 15,000 rubles.
“From July 1, this injustice must be eliminated. Putin said that this amount should be more than doubled, to a level of just over 31,000.
He instructed the government to implement this proposal and keep the matter under control.
Primorsky Krai Governor Oleg Kozhemyako claimed during the meeting that Putin also supports the children of soldiers who were killed or injured during the military operation in Ukraine. According to Kozhemyako, it is possible to entrust it to the regions. The governor said he had spoken to the families of military personnel and they were concerned about what would happen to them if a family head was lost or injured. Putin approved the idea and asked him to send the initiative to the presidential administration.
“I’m sure there isn’t that big of a burden here, and if it can be done in this region, and I assume it’s possible, then it will be a good addition to the support measures being implemented at the federal level,” the president believes.
He added that those who participated in the military operation should be paid themselves. The president urged them to act as “heroes” because they deliberately risked their lives “for the sake of the people and children of Donbass, Russia”.
“The payments corresponding to those abroad need to be increased, because everything equals the exchange rate, the dollar – in this case. And as you know, the dollar is getting smaller and the ruble is getting stronger. Therefore, these payments need to be recalculated and made appropriately.”
At the same time, the head of the Ministry of Finance Anton Siluanov, at the State Council meeting, called for “very careful” consideration of new social obligations. The minister reminded that with the start of the military operation, the government already has new problems that require money.
“We now need to be very careful when making new commitments. We have new tasks – this is the restoration of the economies of new regions [на востоке Украины]and ensuring that the army is ready for battle. We need fresh momentum to support the economy in the face of restrictions. All this takes a lot of money,” Siluanov warned.
The head of the Finance Ministry has suggested that the government focus on Putin’s pension and minimum wage proposals for the time being. The rest of the social enterprises, in his opinion, the regions can realize themselves without federal funds.
On increasing the minimum wage and pensions, social support
Putin announced that Russia will increase the minimum wage (minimum wage) and cost of living. The minimum wage will increase by 10%, ie 13,890 rubles, from 1 July. up to 15,278 rubles. monthly. The cost of living will also be increased by 10%, but from June 1 it will be 12,654 rubles. the national average is up to 13,919 rubles.
“Our main task is to achieve further increases in the minimum wage so that the income level of citizens significantly exceeds the subsistence level,” said the President.
Various payments are tied to the minimum wage, including child benefits, pension benefits and maternity allowance. Putin reminded that increasing the minimum wage will lead to an increase in these payments.
The Minister of Labor noted at the State Council meeting that the increase in the minimum wage will increase the salary of about 4 million Russians. “Today, about 15 million of our citizens receive payments directly related to the subsistence level,” said Kotyakov.
In addition, Putin proposed that pensions for non-working retirees be increased by 10% from 1 June.
“We discussed this with the government for a long time, there were disagreements within the government and a solution was found. Today I want to announce: I propose to increase the amount of pensions for non-working pensioners by 10% from June 1 of this year, taking into account our legislation,” he said.
Kotyakov stated that indexation will affect 35 million retirees. “This is an average of 1,760 rubles – an increase in the pension, its average size will reach 19,360 [рублей]’ said the Minister of Labour.
About helping extended families
Putin said that a large family should become the norm in Russia, that Russian society and the state should respect and appreciate such families.
“It is well known to us what a big family is to Russia, it has always been a tradition in Russia. We need to bring back this tradition demanded by our modern development, it should be established as a value orientation for society and a norm as a top priority for the state,” he said.
According to Putin, a large and “strong” family will help cope with “demographic challenges”. He acknowledged that the demographic question applies to Russia, but added that the same applies to “all post-industrial states.”
Kotyakov, on the other hand, stated that the state plans to help approximately 10 million people in support of families with children under the age of 17. Now in Russia there are various federal child payments to low-income families. These include benefits for children ages 8 to 17.
“As of May, we started to pay children aged 8-17. <...> Currently, we have already allocated 2.3 million children, according to applications made through the public services portal or directly through the Pension Fund offices. “The total amount is about 50 billion rubles,” said Kotyakov.
Source: Gazeta
