"The
country's economic development plans should be clear and realistic, best meet
current and future challenges, reflect people's interests and unity of views of
the state, business circles, civil society institutions," the head of
state said at a meeting on economic issues.
According to the president, it is important to bet on improving the business
climate and increasing the competitiveness of the Russian economy, increasing
labor productivity and the effectiveness of large investment projects.
Also, according to the head of state, it is necessary to concentrate on the
development of small and medium-sized businesses, the growth of non-primary
exports and the formation of new growth points in the regions.
Putin explained that the meeting will discuss expert proposals for achieving
development and technological upgrading of the country's economy.
"We will discuss how these ideas are competitive and applicable in
practice," he added.
At the meeting, drafts of socio-economic development programs of the country
should be presented by the chairman of the board of the Center for Strategic
Initiatives fund Alexei Kudrin and the chairman of the presidium of the
Stolypin Club Boris Titov. Their views on the way to economic growth are
radically different.
The main area of disagreement is the policy pursued by the Bank of Russia,
which Kudrin generally supports, while Titov opposes the "fetish of low
inflation in the absence of economic growth" and suggests that the
regulator target not only price growth but also economic growth.
In a December message to the parliament, Putin instructed to prepare and
approve a comprehensive government action plan for 2017-2025. It provides for
the Russian economy to enter the growth rates above the world not later than
2019-2020