The government is preparing for self-restructuring
Yesterday, the traditional meeting of Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov with his deputies took place, with which every working week in the White House begins. When the meeting participants came out to reporters, it turned out that they had something to argue about, both with each other and with the absent presidential adviser Andrei Illarionov.

At the meeting itself, the cabinet's work plan was discussed. Mikhail Kasyanov himself told Kommersant that it would be intense (see page 1). All meeting participants readily confirmed this. But when questions began to flow about what the composition of the government would be after its restructuring, planned by the president for May, it turned out that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin already had his own proposals, which he was ready to share only with the prime minister, but not with journalists . Mr. Kudrin said that, on the instructions of the prime minister, all members of the government must submit their proposals by mid-April, but so far only he has them ready.
It is clear that not all of Mr. Kudrin’s proposals will be met with enthusiasm by his colleagues. At the last government meeting, when First Deputy Minister of Finance Alexei Ulyukaev reported on his department’s plans to reduce staff in ministries, a formal skirmish occurred between him and the Minister of Economic Development German Gref. Alexey Ulyukaev, who at one time worked closely with the Center for Strategic Research, obviously unexpectedly for German Gref, proposed cutting 200 employees of the Ministry of Economic Development. This is what happened next. "Don't make any comments!" - German Gref abruptly interrupted the speaker. “This is not a gag,” Mr. Ulyukaev answered dully and added louder: “This is the minister’s position.” “Well, if the minister has a bad head...” “Break!” — the prime minister had to intervene. So there is no doubt that government members have something to say to each other regarding the restructuring of the cabinet.
Alexey Kudrin made another remarkable statement yesterday. The Finance Minister does not see any threat to economic growth in Russia ending this year. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that “based on the results of two months of 2001, it is impossible to judge what picture will emerge by the end of this year.” In fact, at the beginning of the year there were signs of economic growth, after there was even some contraction in the last four months of last year. Nevertheless, Aleksei Kudrin believes that the target goal—GDP growth of 4%—will be achieved in 2001.
In this, German Gref, who participated in yesterday's meeting, agreed with Alexei Kudrin: the Russian government "has no reason to adjust the initial parameters of the budget for 2001, which envisages GDP growth of 4%." But German Gref finally found a sparring partner yesterday. He argued in absentia with Andrei Illarionov, who was absent, who not long ago said that economic growth in the country this year “may be zero”; Mr. Illarionov associated the slowdown with an increase in the real exchange rate of the ruble and large revenues from energy exports, which stimulate inflation . German Gref answered him this way: “There are no grounds for pessimism. As for possible adjustments to monetary policy, this is the prerogative of the Central Bank.”

ANDREY B-BAGROV

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 53 dated March 27, 2001, p. 2