The State Duma gave a public flogging to the minister: Fails to cope with Putin’s tasks
The State Duma of the Russian Federation refused today to hear the Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin. According to the patriarch of the Russian parliament, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, this is the first such precedent in the 30 years of the existence of the State Duma.
After Oreshkin’s opening remarks, speaker Vyacheslav Volodin did not give the floor, as is usually done, to a representative of the Accounts Chamber, but began asking questions himself.
“All colleagues want to hear, not a general story, but what the ministry is doing.
I would like to hear how much money was allocated to the regions for the implementation of national projects and state programs, what volume of competitions were held, and when the implementation of the president’s instructions given in his address to the Federal Assembly will begin. This is what unites all the deputies in this room,” Volodin said.
It turned out that Oreshkin was ready to report only on the situation with small and medium-sized businesses. The minister could not even name the amount included in the state budget for the implementation of national projects, saying something about “several hundred billion”
“We looked at the budget quite recently, so I was surprised to hear the figure. In 2019 alone, an additional 1,7 trillion rubles were allocated for national projects, in 2020 – 1,9 trillion rubles, in 2021 – 2,1 trillion rubles. A total of 5,7 trillion rubles will be allocated over the three-year period,” said Andrei Makarov, Chairman of the State Duma Budget Committee.
Oreshkin could not answer another question from Volodin: how much funds under the national project went to the regions.
“Only the Ministry of Finance has statistics. Agreements have been concluded with all regions, but the actual expenditure of funds is below 10%,” the minister said.
This answer provoked a sharp rebuke from the speaker.
“It’s March now, only 10% of the contracts have been concluded, but no funds have been received. If the funds have not been delivered today, then, based on the experience of previous years, they will not arrive in the regions until July. The competitions will end no earlier than September. Then the deception, haste, and assault will begin. The effectiveness of the implementation of national projects will be reduced to a minimum. This way we won’t achieve a breakthrough,” Volodin said.
In his opinion, it will be possible to talk about a breakthrough only when the Russian economy grows by 3% annually.
“And we ended last year with 2,3%, and now the forecast was announced to us at 1,3%. Where is the forward movement here? The President has allocated unprecedented resources to the implementation of national projects. But our funds are practically not directed to the regions. Out of respect for each other, we try not to aggravate things, but this is wrong. Time demands something else,” Volodin said.
He invited the minister to prepare and speak before parliament again. All factions supported this proposal.
“This is called in one word - sabotage. Under Stalin, commissars would have been sent to these ministries. Under Brezhnev - representatives of the KGB. Maybe we can find a more effective control system. Then we hear that thousands of the president’s orders have not been fulfilled. The president said: those who can’t, step aside. These are not Stalinist repressions; no one will be arrested. But let those who can and want to come,” said LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
Oreshkin’s next attempt to report will take place approximately at the end of March or early April.
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