Not many regions of Russia have such combination of natural resources and intellectual capital like Tomsk region has. Huge reserves of oil and gas, iron ore and rare-earth metals are located on the territory of the region. The region is in the top five among the regions of Russia in oil and gas production, takes the first place in Russia in volumes of fresh water reserves, and the second place in volumes of peat reserves. Moreover, our region is the largest iron-ore province in the world: the iron ore reserves are enough for thousands of years. Forest density is evaluated to be 2.6 billion cubic meters, and half of them are fine wood. Tomsk region forests are not only the source of raw materials for woodworking industry but also the natural larder: according to calculations, the saving rate can be even more from picking mushrooms, berries and nuts than from logging.
However, we do not connect our future only to the natural resources. The development strategy till the year 2020 was approved in the region several years ago. According to this strategy we will stake on intellect. This is a resource which tends to be reproduced and accumulated from generation to generation.
Western journalists asked me once: "What is your major merit at the position of the governor of Tomsk region?" I answered: "The major merit is that we managed to preserve our universities. I would never forgive myself, if at least one Tomsk university was closed..." Today Tomsk, along with Moscow and Saint Petersburg, is the third academic center of Russia. Today there are 6 universities and 2 institutes, 15 branches of higher educational institutions of other cities and towns, 11 research institutes in Tomsk.
Currently, scientific and educational complex of Tomsk became a real and strong constituent of the regional economy. Its contribution to the domestic regional product exceeded 7% which is more than, for instance, the contribution of the enterprises of mechanical engineering, power engineering and woodworking industries. The volume of financing of higher educational institutions and scientific centers totaled 11 billion rubles and has grown for 124% in comparison to the year 2005. Tomsk universities had the greatest financing growth rates: their consolidated budget reached 7 billion rubles in 2006 and the volume of scientific work financing totaled over 1 billion rubles, 70% of which are extra-budgetary funds.
There are 84 innovation enterprises that have been established for the previous four years and provided the region with 3 thousand of new working places. Volume of science intensive production manufactured by the innovation enterprises exceeded 7 billion rubles. The whole chain of region innovation development model is already created in Tomsk region: education- scientific research- innovation product- market.
All this demonstrates that it is nonrandom that Tomsk region got in 2005 the right of establishing the special economic zone of technical-innovation type. The Northern plot of the special economic zone is already opened and we strive to open the Southern plot so that the residents could start working there already in the first quarter of the year 2008. The special economic zone should ensure the breakthrough in the field on innovations for the region and make Tomsk the world educational and scientific center.
Tomsk region have had its ups and downs during 15 years of my governor term. There was the time of survival and the time of stabilization. Now it is the time of development. Efficient use of natural and intellectual resources has brought its results: Tomsk region used to be a subsidized region, but two years ago it became a donor region. We started thinking in projects directed to the future, developed the strategy and program of social and economic development. As of today, there are 10 golden projects, some of which are already implemented. But it is too early to get placid.
As for the region problems, they are typical for Russia as a whole and for Siberia in particular. In spite of the fact that the average wage in Tomsk region exceeded 11 thousand rubles, the issue of low income is one of the most urgent, especially for the pensioners. The low income issue causes the problems of housing and communal services rates and some other problems which can be united under one general notion: "quality of life". All this transforms into demographic problems for us: the drift of the population away from Siberia increases with every year.
In the end of 2006, a memorandum prepared by Anatoly Kvashnin and Kamil Iskhakov, the plenipotentiaries of the president in Siberian and Far East federal districts, and Yevgeny Primakov, the president of the Russian Chamber of. Commerce and Industry, was sent to Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation. The memorandum was completely devoted to the difficult demographic situation; the authors of it suggested developing a well-rounded program of assignment of population and creation of conditions for the increase in the number of district inhabitants. In particular, it is planned to include into the list the following measures: the creation of special conditions for the above mentioned regions in all national projects, fixing of additional coefficients for people working in state-financed organizations, address subventions for electricity payment, establishment of labor pensions differentiated according to region indexation etc.
Siberia and Far East will not sustain without such a well-rounded program. As a governor, I understand that all of our plans: the special economic zone, the development of oil and gas production sector, the works in minerals mining; have not prospects without solving the demographic problem.
Comments: