Экономические науки /13.Региональная экономика
Zheltonozhko T.A.
The Institute of Macroeconomic Research, Moscow
Recommendations of rebirth the Russian single-industry
settlements
In
Russia more than half of the urban settlements are the single-industry towns,
and among the urban-type communities are the vast majority. Nowadays there are
332 urban-type communities and 467 towns. 24.5 million people live there. The
majority part of the single-industry settlements is established by the
enterprises of timber and woodworking industry (20%). And the other ones are
mechanical engineering (17%), food industry (14%) and fuel industry (11%). The
Russian economy is based on the economy of the single-industry towns.
It
is expected that in the nearest 20 years 15-20 million people will migrate to
the cities from the single-industry settlements because they are more
economically stable. Will the cities take such a quantity of human resources
often highly skilled specialists?
That’s
why authorities attend rebirth and development of the single-industry settlements.
While the situation of the Russian single-industry settlements remains negative,
Ministry of Industry and trade of the Russian Federation and Ministry of Regional
Development of the Russian Federation prepare a draft concept of the single-industry
towns’ development and the relevant federal target program.
It
is planned that there will be two selection criterions. There are two criteria
by which the federal government classifies the urban settlements in the category
of the single-industry towns:
- The part of workers in the city-forming
enterprise or group of related businesses a single technology chain shall be
not less than 25% of the economically active population.
- The volume of such an enterprise or group of
enterprises should take at least 50% of products are produced.
To
solve the problems the authorities were only three options.
The
first idea is the elimination of the single-industry towns which are unviable
and the resettlement of people.
The
second idea is the conversion of the single-industry towns and the creation of
new industries, i.e. actually make a diversified economy. To do this all the single-industry
settlements urgently prepare investment plans for development.
The
third idea is providing federal financial support of only 35 towns which are in
the most difficult situation.
In
our opinion, a very important point to identify possible ways of helping the
towns to indicate underlying causes of their problems.
For
example, the problem of AvtoVAZ was long before the world financial crisis, and
concluded of the poor quality of products rather than in a limited lineup.
Problems
of the Baikal pulp and paper plant were laid in its design and placement. The
Lake Baikal referring to the category of world natural heritage and having a
unique reserve of fresh water resources was used for the system of water supply
and discharge of waste water. So the problems for which no adequate measures
have been taken earlier were worsened by the crisis in these enterprises. Consequently
the problems of these enterprises should be solved with the participation of
the federal level.
The
scale of government support of the modernization of such enterprises cannot be
limited of backing credit rates. Depending on the enterprise’ size and its role
of the existence of the single-industry settlements in order to solve their
problems necessary to use different levels of government either the federal or
the regional.
References:
1. Draft Resolution of the Government of the
Russian Federation "On additional measures to stimulate the implementation
of regional programs address subjects of the Russian Federation on the
territory which have the single-industry settlements".
3. http://www.minpromtorg.gov.ru/