Interfax: Ineffective federal programs could be discontinued – Medvedev

MOSCOW. Dec 12 (Interfax) – Ineffective federal programs might be discontinued, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a cabinet meeting devoted to the performance of these programs over the first nine months of the year.

“We need to either radically change the situation with the programs of close them down. We’ll reach a decision on this by the end of the year,” he said.

He said four programs – the development of tourism, the information society, flight safety and emergency services – had been deemed ineffective.

Medvedev said federal programs were still not being fulfilled satisfactorily.

“I said at a meeting in September that the fulfillment of federal programs was not satisfactory. This is generally a chronic disease, unfortunately. And nothing has really changed over nine months,” he said.

“Financing is still low for a whole range of areas, and co-funding by the regional budgets, local budgets and extra-budgetary sources has decreased,” Medvedev said.

“This is due to certain problems in the economy, but it is reflected mainly in how federal, budgeted funds are being spent,” Medvedev said.

[featured image is file photo from past event]