In an opening address, the President pointed out big goals of the national finance for next year: "We must settle social issues, reduce manufacturers' fiscal burden, cope with welfare grants, and delineate administrative rights and duties." There are also major objectives in the military, security and law enforcement fields. In particular, the Defense Ministry has blueprinted military expenditures increasing by 40% against this year's, said Mr. Putin.
Sergei Ivanov came up with prospective army statistics. The number of contract soldiers is to hit a 50,000 mark by next year's end, and two divisions with a total personnel of 25 to 27 thousand will shift to contract service in an effort requiring 17 billion rubles, roughly $600 million.
Alexei Kudrin was the next to take the floor. Russia is launching target program Anti-Terror. A total of 2.3 billion rubles has been earmarked for next year to implement it. Five billion rubles will go to upgrade border guard. Expenditures for the Armed Forces technical equipment and government contracts with the military-industrial complex are to increase by 40%, or 70 billion rubles. Soldier salaries will grow, too. An initial 30,000 commissioned officers with three-year service records and 25,000 noncoms will be entitled to housing accommodation purchase grants on an emergent arrangement. The soldiers will be accumulating such grants on their accounts for two or three years, after which they will be entitled to target government loans, said the Finance Minister.
