News

On March 3, four of Kaluga Region’s ministries – the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Tariff Regulation and the Ministry of Competition Policy – held a joint extended board meeting. The region’s Minister of Economic Development Vladimir Popov presented a report on the results of social and economic development in 2013.

Vladimir Popov opened his speech by referring to the Regional Development Strategy adopted in 2009. He remarked that the new stage of industrialization and generation of significant investments contributed to the formation of the foundations of a modern economic policy. “The next stage will require consolidation of efforts not only of the economic block and municipalities, but of the entire entrepreneurial community”, emphasized the minister.

In 2013, 13 new industrial facilities were launched and 24 cooperation agreements signed. The total amount of fixed capital investments was RUR 90 billion. The regional budget received almost RUR 43.5 billion, or RUR 1 billion more than in 2012.

In 2013, industrial production growth was 7.5% against 2012. The value of industrial products shipped from Kaluga Region in 2013 was RUR 470 billion. Almost 60% of the amount accounted for products manufactured by recently-established companies.

Apart from the automotive cluster, the region is actively developing pharmaceutical, tourism and IT clusters. Agriculture is also improving its positions. The Center for Development of the Agro-Industrial Complex, established in 2013, is currently supervising the implementation of 14 major projects.

The region currently has 10 industrial parks with 64 active enterprises and 86 projects in development.

The ministry’s plans and objectives for 2014 were presented by Ruslan Zalivatsky, Deputy Governor of Kaluga Region. Addressing the Ministry of Economic Development, Ruslan Zalivatsky emphasized that it was necessary to continue integrated development of the region’s territories, with a stake on high-tech manufacturing plants.

Ruslan Zalivatsky named priority objectives, including the creation of a high-quality transport infrastructure – federal and interregional highways, airport complexes, and high-speed railways.

He completed his presentation by stating that the principal mission of the Ministry of Economic Development and the economic block in general was to improve living standards and create comfortable living conditions for all of the region’s residents. “Allocation of land to multi-child families, introduction of funded mortgage mechanisms, development of partial financing of socially significant projects (public-private partnership) – these are just a tiny part of the region’s social priorities”, said the deputy governor.