Irina Makieva: ''The towns of Tatarstan should be transformed from mono into stereo''
The two ministries — the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Industry and Trade summed up the results of 2016. The panel was dedicated to innovative development of the enterprises. KAMAZ told about the unmanned shuttle, which will appear in Kazan by the World Cup, and the head of the fund of single-industry towns advised to make all the towns the territories of priority development in order to receive super benefits.
Industrial parks — a new brand of Tatarstan
President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov opened the meeting with announcing the figures: the industrial production volume and GRP are growing closer to 2 trillion rubles, investment in fixed capital is keeping at the level of previous years. The republic for the second year in a row has been ranked first in the national ranking for ensuring a favourable investment climate and it will continue to work on the creation of comfortable conditions for businesses.
A more detailed report was made by Minister of Economy of Tatarstan Artem Zdunov. He reacted to the situation critically and did not compare the growth rates of Tatarstan with Russia's and the Volga Federal District's, noting that they have not reached the global values yet. Sanctions, lower energy prices and higher interest rates are to blame.
The point of growth is the special economic zone Alabuga and the territory of priority development Naberezhnye Chelny with six residents, who provided more than 2.404 jobs and 8.929 million rubles of investments. The seventh resident, TESK PLC with 93 million investment and 36 jobs is expected. One of the main hopes — industrial parks, Zdunov called them a new brand of Tatarstan.
''By 2020, it is planned to increase the number of industrial sites up to 100 and to ensure their completion. Currently, Tatarstan has 62 industrial sites at the municipal level, there are 354 residents, over 6.600 jobs have been created. In 2016, 328.3 million rubles were attracted from the federal budget for the development of industrial sites and almost 99.7 million rubles were allocated from the budget of the Republic of Tatarstan,'' said Zdunov.
Along with the creation of industrial parks, he emphasises the need to pay attention to public space.
''It is a large segment for entrepreneurs, creative industries, whom we aim to maintain,'' said Zdunov.
Unmanned electro buses by World Cup 2018 and serial production of Tu-160
An example of the innovative industry is KAMAZ. This year they are going to bring the vehicles to the fourth or fifth level of autonomy when a human does not intervene in control. The first unmanned shuttle will be run in Kazan by the World Cup, though the shuttle will run in a limited area, not on city roads.
The auto giant intends to develop electric vehicles. They have developed the electro bus with ultrafast electric bus charging, thanks to which the vehicle will be able to operate around the clock.
In 2017, KAMAZ plans to sell 6.500 vehicles. By 2019, it is planned to start the production of vehicles with new cabs and engines.
They also planned to load the Kazan aviation plant for the next 10 years. The main order is Tu-160.
The serial production of the bomber begins in the spring. The production will use not only traditional technologies, which have been restored but also modernised ones.
From mono to stereo
A member of Supervisory Board of NGO Monotowns Development Fund and Deputy Chairman of Vnesheconombank Irina Makieva oversees the national project on the diversification of single-industry towns. Within it framework for 2017-2018, it is planned to create 230 million new jobs, not related to core enterprises, of which more than 17.000 will be in Tatarstan.
''The cities of Tatarstan should be transformed from mono into stereo. For two years, we are to attract 179 billion in investment to the mono towns, and in 2017 — to implement at least five steps for improvement in each mono town,'' said Makieva.
The main objects for improvement — renovation of the main streets, telemedicine and ambulance. At least one car to every single-industry town, promised Makieva.
More territories of priority development
Makieva advised Tatarstan do not be shy and apply to make all of these towns the territories of priority development. Today only Naberezhnye Chelny has such status.
''There is only one territory of priority development in Tatarstan. Bashkortostan, Kuzbass are ahead – each of them has two territories of priority development. I've heard today that you are planning to make Zelenodolsk and Nizhnekamsk such territories. I think you should apply for all of the towns. We will do our best in order every single-industry town got a chance with all super benefits,'' suggested Makieva.
Minnikhanov said that Tatarstan has only one territory of priority development, but a big one — with the population of half a million people.
''It is a great trust and we have to justify it. Huge work is being done in the development of single-industry towns – it is new jobs, environment. If earlier we spoke about the production, today we are talking about that the towns should be comfortable, convenient, as all others, so that people have no desire to move somewhere else,'' said Minnikhanov.
The only single-industry town in the list that still lags behind is Kamskie Polyany. Makieva even asked Minnikhanov to assist.
Economy is the staff of life
Summing up, Rustam Minnikhanov noted that Tatarstan is one of the most powerful regions with a large potential in the oil industry, he named the upcoming launch of TAIF-NK a great success. Nizhnekamskneftekhim was praised for the increase of rubber production and ethylene 600. He placed special emphasis on KAMAZ, which will work in the defence industry, expressed the hope that the hard times at the helicopter plant will end. He cited the example of the municipal industrial sites, they produced 170 billion of products – it is the level of some Russian regions in general.
''An increase of level of life, stability — everything will depend on the state of the economy, on the welfare of our citizens. We need to work on high-tech production facilities involving highly paid employees, to work at the educational resource centres – it is a comprehensive work of ministries, municipalities, and producers,'' said the president of Tatarstan.
According to him, the Republic is the largest taxpayer in the Volga Federal District and one of the largest in the country. At the same time, Minnikhanov noted that without the support of the Russian Federation, Tatarstan would not be able to succeed.
