OFFICIALLY

President

Held a meeting in Ryazan with the governors of the Central Federal District. The leaders of the Ivanovo and Kaluga regions, in particular, raised the issue of the incorrect behavior of the government, which, according to them, does not listen to the opinions of the regional heads. The governors of the Tula, Belgorod and Oryol regions drew the president's attention to what they considered to be an incorrect customs policy regarding the import of meat and dairy products. Putin supported the governors’ proposals on the need to develop a mechanism to protect domestic producers. Meanwhile, the head of state does not entirely agree with those governors who believe that if there is no income in other regions, then it is the fault of the governors and residents of this region. According to the president, there are areas in which “no matter what, it is impossible to get out of the subsidized state in a short period of time.” Putin noted that it is impossible to come up with anything else other than to equalize development levels with the help of the budget, but the boundaries of these subsidies must be clear, otherwise consumer psychology can develop.

In the fourth quarter of 2002, he ordered the allocation of more than 22 million rubles from the reserve fund of the President of the Russian Federation to ensure the social protection of children and the needs of 51 educational institutions. According to the list attached to the order, funds are allocated for secondary schools, children's and youth sports schools, lyceums, boarding schools, district student creativity centers, orphanages for children with developmental disabilities, interschool educational centers, centers for the development of children's creativity and youth, specialized schools of the Olympic reserve, inter-district stations of young naturalists, sanatorium boarding schools. The Ministry of Education is instructed to ensure control over the targeted expenditure of allocated funds and provide a report on their use to the administration of the President of the Russian Federation.
Prime Minister

I went on a two-day working trip to Germany. Kasyanov is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on December 2, and on January 3, the Russian Prime Minister will hold a meeting with representatives of the German business community. In Berlin, the Prime Minister will take part in a ceremonial meeting on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy.
Departments

Minister of Labor and Social Development Alexander Pochinok took part in the forum of the all-Russian public organization of small and medium-sized businesses “OPORa Russia”, which took place on Friday. All representatives of small businesses from 70 regions who spoke at the forum named too high taxes and arbitrariness of local officials as the main problems hindering the development of small businesses. Pochinok invited participants to seek a reduction in the tax burden from today's 32 to 25%. Also at the forum, it was decided to develop a bill “On the elimination of administrative barriers to entrepreneurship.” Before the law is adopted, Vladimir Putin was personally asked to protect entrepreneurs. The management of OPORA promised the audience that it would convey to the president the contents of an open letter in which small businesses talk about their problems.