Kremlin promises to save Russians from imported goods
The import substitution program, which is being implemented in Russia, will allow a 2.5-time increase in the share of domestic products in the market, said Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu at a meeting with the staff of the Krasmash plant on Friday.
The phasing out of imports, as follows from the minister's statement, will begin in the coming years. The government has set a goal to increase the share of Russian goods has been set by 2025.
The driving force of the country's economic development, according to Shoygu, is the military-industrial complex. "Until recently, the economy of the Russian Federation was firmly on "oil and gas needle" and the state's revenue depended on the energy market conditions. Almost half of the industrial potential in many sectors of the economy was lost, " TASS quotes Shoygu as saying.
"Russia was an economically backward, torn apart by serious internal contradictions country with a low level of citizens’ well-being, which gave rise to some of our odious partners which allowed call us a "gas station country," Shoygu said.
But now, according to Shoygu, everything has changed. "Over time, it was possible to reformat social policy, make it more real and meet the needs of ordinary citizens. It was possible to eradicate mass unemployment, to organize on a systematic basis the provision of housing for the population. Maternity capital has been introduced, material support for low-income families is being provided," the minister said.
He stressed that the changes affected almost all spheres of the country’s economy. These are the inviolability of Russia's borders, the rule of law, the requirements for representatives of the authorities, the protection of the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland, the social rights and freedoms of Russian citizens.
"Industrial production in many sectors is being restored, large-scale infrastructure projects are being implemented, heavy and light industry and agriculture are actively being developed," Shoygu said.