Program on Chechen Restoration Needs 500 Million RublesThe implementation of a program on social economic restoration of Chechnya requires 14.4 billion rubles (507 million dollars), while the money provided by the government only reaches 4.5 billion rubles (157 million dollars), a Russian minister told the press here Saturday.According to Vladimir Yelagin, Russian Minister on Socioeconomic Development in Chechnya, except the 4.5 billion rubles from the budget, the rest of the money will come from off- budget funds as well as investments from the Russian electricity monopoly Unified Energy Systems (UES), the gas giant Gazprom, and the Railway Ministry. Those units will be engaged in infrastructure construction in the Chechnya. Some 40 federal agencies will be involved in implementing the program adopted by the Russian government last week, the minister said. The program is focused on "improving living conditions for the republic's civilian population" and "reconstructing the most profitable sectors of the Chechen economy," Yelagin said. The program, including "a list of particular facilities used for restoration work and the money required for each individual purpose," will be the basis for "a long-term program" on Chechen reconstruction in 2002-2003. |
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