Kazan Kremlin on postponement of repayment of Universiade debts: “We were ready to pay without the postponement”
Liliya Galimova explained the standpoint of regional authorities on Tatarstan’s loans equal to billions for the organisation of the World University Games
The budget of Tatarstan didn’t need any postponement for billions of the Universiade’s debts, but this, undoubtedly, was “positively” noted in the Kazan Kremlin on 28 November. The republic has every chance of repaying the debt for the organisation of the university games, Liliya Galimova assured. Speaker of the Kremlin also commented Chairman of Vnesheconombank Igor Shuvalov’s visit to Kazan because of monitoring at Ammonia JSC. As well as the government of Tatarstan, according to her, Shuvalov is interested in saving the enterprise and providing its further development, a rise in the production capacities. Realnoe Vremya also learnt the position of the Tatarstan authorities on other topical issues mentioned at the briefing.
“The republican budget was ready to repay the debts for the Universiade without the postponement”
The business trip of VEB’s head Igor Shuvalov who got acquainted with the potential of Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre looked over its exhibition pavilions and the Ilgam Shakirov Concert Hall during his visit to Tatarstan was mentioned at the briefing.
“Mr Minnikhanov thanked Mr Shuvalov for the legacy of the Universiade, which became possible thanks to First Vice Premier Shuvalov who chaired the organising committee then. We managed to host a lot of other events using this infrastructure,” Liliya Galimova noted.
As a continuation of the topic, Galimova also expressed the opinion of the Kazan Kremlin about the repayment of the loan of the Russian Ministry of Finance, which was granted to the republic to host the 2013 Universiade in Kazan. Earlier, the Tatarstan Ministry of Finance made the total debt public — it is 66,9 billion rubles.
At the fifth session of the Tatarstan State Council on 27 November where deputies approved the republic’s budget for 2020, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Tatarstan Radik Gayzatullin claimed that the main repayment of the loan was to begin from 2023, but according to a new agreement with the Russian Finance Ministry, it will begin only from 2025. Liliya Galimova assured that the postponement was good news, but the republican budget would have certainly managed to repay the debts for the Universiade without the postponement.
“When this loan was taken out for the World University Games, it was agreed that the initial repayment of the debt began with tiny interest thanks to Mr Minnikhanov’s active work too. It became good support for us, we developed infrastructure, we had a chance to repay this loan without any harm to our budget. And we are ready in general, the budget of the republic had been ready by that moment without the postponement. But it is, undoubtedly, goods news that there is postponement. But the budget is absolutely ready in this respect,” the representative of the Kremlin concluded.
Igor Shuvalov confirms VEB’s plans to save Ammonia from bankruptcy
Vnesheconombank, which initiated monitoring at Ammonia JSC Tatarstan complex manufacturing mineral fertilisers on 26 November, expressed explicit interest in saving and rehabilitating the enterprise. VEB’s Chairman Igor Shuvalov’s visit to Kazan clearly proves it, official representative of the Kazan Kremlin Liliya Galimova claimed at the briefing.
“The main goal of his visit was linked with the monitoring at Ammonia JSC. And I think that his visit is evidence to not only the interest of the republican officials but also that of VEB in providing sustainable, uninterrupted operation of this enterprise, rehabilitation of the economic situation,” she stressed answering journalists’ questions.
At the meeting with Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, the head of VEB emphasised that prevention of the enterprise’s bankruptcy was the key task for both sides. Production development at Ammonia, including the possible construction of the second plant, were also discussed.
The complex was launched in 2016, the project’s financing was distributed between VEB and the budget of Tatarstan. On 26 November 2019, the Court of Arbitration of the Republic of Tatarstan launched monitoring for seven months according to VEB’s claim. Vnesheconombank holds 20% of shares of the enterprise, Ammonia’s debt to it is about 15,1 billion rubles nowadays.
“Something needs to be done to it”: Kazan Kremlin on transfer of day-off on 31 December
During the briefing, Galimova commented on the prospects of declaring 31 December as a day-off. A bill envisaging to transfer the day-off on 31 December was introduced to the State Duma on 28 November. Moreover, it is offered to leave the total number of holidays in accordance with the quantity fixed by the Labour Code.
“There is a federal initiative. If I am not mistaken, the State Duma considered it yesterday. Attention to this issue has already started to be paid. The fact that people are discussing it means that something needs to be done to it,” the representative of the Kazan Kremlin expressed her opinion.
Galimova also clarified that in the last week Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov hadn’t received addresses from residents of the republic asking to consider a possibility to declare 31 December a day-off.