Says that support for families is integral to Russia's "renewed constitution," a reference to hundreds of amendments that were hastily adopted last year, including one that could allow Putin to remain president until 2036.
Begins to talk about subsidies for families with children, single parents, pregnant women in dire financial straits.
- By Mike Eckel
Consumer prices get a mention in Putin's speech.
This is a MAJOR issue that the Kremlin is grappling with, and is a MAJOR worry for government planners.
Putin tries to take a bit of a victory lap, asserting that despite the impact of COVID-19, the government managed to prevent a rise in poverty, and that economic problems didn't reach the sort of crisis levels seen in the years after the Soviet collapse.
But standard-of-living issues are very much on the forefront of average Russians' minds.
According to data from the state statistics agency, cited by the government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta in March, prices for basic food items have jumped across the board: potatoes, tomatoes, apples, margarine, chicken, cheeses. Since January 2020, food prices have risen 8.2 percent; vegetables 17.5 percent; fruits 13.5 percent.
Here's more background reading on the problem.
Putin now turns to problem of inflations and rising prices for basic consumer goods. Notes that even during the peak of the pandemic, Russia's situation was not nearly as bad as it was in the last days of the Soviet Union, when "shelves were empty." Says the government has mechanisms for controlling prices and will use them.
Appeals to regional governors to pay attention to the needs of families, particularly health clinics, kindergartens, and similar facilities. Urges them to reduce bureaucracy and enable families to get all the assistance they qualify for "from one window."
Talks about advances in telemedicine and other technological improvements to health care. Says these advancements must become the foundation of health care in Russia going forward.
Turns to discussing the health of children. Offers a 50 percent rebate on stays at camps and health facilities. Says government is using a new tax on excess wealth to fund a program to assist children with serious illnesses. Says government will send 5,000 new ambulances to small settlements by 2023.
Says Health Ministry and others must turn their attention to dealing with the long-term health effects of COVID-19, especially heart and lung problems that could affect life expectancy. "This is a danger to the health of the nation."
- By Mike Eckel
Demographics has long been a major issue for Russia, but it hasn't necessarily gotten the urgent attention that many experts say is needed.
Interestingly, Putin makes reference to the demographic crisis the country faces early in his speech, calling it "dire."
Here's more background reading on the problem.