The regional gross
product growth rate is 3 to 5% nowadays. Yet we
understand that you are planning to increase growth
up to 8%. How are you planning to accomplish this?
Accelerated depreciation, fixed assets renewal and
the increase in population of the Primorsky Krai.
Transport infrastructure is extremely important
for the region. What are the most important projects
your Administration is working on?
In connection with a new world strategy I should
say that transport and power projects are the most
significant ones for us. First, the construction
of oil pipeline to Primorye's port and - in the
same ecological passage - the gas pipeline construction.
Our geopolitical location encourages us to seriously
consider the construction of the TransKorean railroad,
and we are leading this project since it is essential
that our ports increase their turnovers.
How are you planning to use the Administration
budget to develop the construction projects and
improve the infrastructure?
We suggest spending a quarter of the regional budget
on new economic projects, which translates to approximately
$150 or $200 Million this year. This is the first
time we do this for the last 10 years.
I believe business should work on its own without
the regional budget support. The budget is primarily
meant to support social expenditures, so we have
adopted a strategy that is carefully considering
co-financing of different projects. That is, if
we invest $200 Million each year, other financing
sources must provide about $700 Million - the budget
may provide only a third of the funds.
We have finished preparing analytical research on
Primorsky Krai's competitive advantages in the Asian-Pacific
region, and today we know that there are some economy
sectors where we can actively compete both on Asian
Pacific and Russian markets. I must note that we
have greatly studied these questions using the latest
technologies and marketing research methods.
Is the future of the Primorsky region to develop
finished products destined for Asian markets? For
example, "Primorye Diamonds" will bring
in diamonds from northern Russia, process them here
and then export them to Asian countries at higher
profit margins. Is this a model for regional business?
This is one of the ways of using Primorsky Krai's
potential. Evidently it is profitable for Indian
investors to use the territory of Primorsky Krai
for this project at the moment, and I fully support
this project. |
I can give you another example. There is one
more project that is mentioned in the analytical
research and is under feasibility study: it is
the construction of an aluminium plant in Primorsky
Krai. One can easily see the competitive advantages
of this plant. This is very important and demonstrates
a striking change that has occurred for the last
two years. The Primorsky region was lacking power,
and there was a crisis in the regional power sector.
Yet now we are discussing the construction of
a plant the main objective of which is export
of power through aluminium. It is a huge gap and
an example of what has happened in Primorye over
the last two years.
You are a businessman by profession, so you
are perfectly aware that business management needs
to be smart and efficient. What are you doing
to encourage "smart" management practices?
Management is one of the most crucial points of
Russian economy. I am deeply convinced that only
a combination of Russian and foreign managers
working together may lead to good results. Unfortunately,
when foreign managers work alone, it does not
always turn out well in Russia in the long run.
Therefore a combination of Russian experience
and foreign management knowledge will ensure excellent
results for our economy.
Recently you were awarded the Order of Merits
for the improvement in the economic and social
situation of the region. In light of this, what
would you say is one of your greatest successes
after over one year in office?
Decreasing social tension in Primorsky Krai was
my greatest achievement, and today Primorsky Krai
has been recognized as one of the successful regions
in Russia.
Do you think Primorsky Krai will become a Russian
version of Hong Kong - the centre of Asia?
I think so. There are certain preliminary outlines
on this point, and I believe that Vladivostok
will become the capital of Russia in the Russian
Far East.
You have been described as a "workaholic",
working 12 to 14 hours a day and finishing at
8 or 9 in the evening… what drives you to
get up in every morning and go to work?
Actually I do not get up early in the morning.
I am "a night owl" by nature. I do not
come to work by 6 o'clock in the morning, but
my working day is long. This is a usual working
rhythm for me which I was accustomed to in my
family when I was a child. All Russians work this
way.
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