Content №3 от 2005
Cognitive analysis of situational governance in the tariff policy in the regional power market
The social-economic situation in a region, the position of power producers and power consumers under regulation of power tariffs can be analyzed by use of the technologies of cognitive analysis and structuring the information on the basis of the interdependent factors of the regional power market. By these methods it is possible, under a deficit of information, to evaluate the effect of power tariffs and to model scenarios of the future situations that are likely to form in the result of the chosen tariff policy.
Lukyanets A. A. luka@tomsk.gov.ru
Russian federalism: programs and initiatives
The analysis of the present mode in enforcement of the RF Government’s program documents on federal relations in Russia vis-a-vis its respective practical measures shows that the cleavage between the two has been widening in the last two or three years, especially so in what concerns the principle of subsidiarity. In the result, the expected positive effect from the developed plans and programs is declining with proportionally waning trust in the federal regional policy.
Institutional setting and mechanisms of implementation of Strategy of Social-economic Development of Siberia
The paper considers new approaches to the institutional framework and instruments for application of STRATEGY II in the economic development of Siberia. The main attention is devoted to initiation, financing, management and follow-up of investment projects that are the pillar of the strategy. The projects are identified as productive, social and supporting. Instruments for productive projects must correspond with their character and activity, state’s share in funding and chances for attracting foreign investors. The funding of social and supporting projects can be centered around a new federal earmarked program “Strategy of Social-economic Development of Siberia”. The alternative solution is creation of the Siberian Fund of Regional Development similar to the structural funds of regional policy of the European Union. For monitoring and continuous evaluation of the strategy process it is proposed to set up a special board of administrators. In sum, the system of strategy application is expected to make an important contribution to the general perfection of the regional policy in the Siberian Federal District in the entirety of its financial, institutional, organizational and manpower aspects.
Dynamics in the size of population and formation of the regional labor potential (the case of the Vologda region)
In the Vologda region the population decline exceeds the national average. Its birth rate is half the replacement norm. The paper evaluates the dynamics of the size and sex-and-age composition of the region’s population. A general picture of possible changes in the region’s demographic situation under certain assumptions concerning the basic demographic processes such as natality, mortality and migration has been obtained.
Reform in the Russian public health: social consequences of commercialization
Insufficient financial endowment of state obligations on supply of free medical services to the population leads to shadow activities in the sector of public health, which deepens social inequality and promotes waste of resources. The comparison of households’ incomes with their monetary expenditures on medical services and medicines through the analysis of the data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey leads us to the conclusion that these expenditures make a heavier burden just on the low-income groups. In the present situation, ironically, some curtailment of governmentally secured volume of free medical services may help recover social justice.
Directions of innovative development of the Siberian research-industrial complex
In Siberia, apart from its resource sectors, high tech science-intensive industries of civil designation also can be profitable. But today they make no more than 0.5% to total production. This is the below-critical level of a less developed resource economy, which is behind the economic instability and blank outlook for economic growth. At the same time, the Siberian research and education complex can drive the advancement of science-based technologies. For this it strongly needs a government funded program of major innovative projects. In the first place it is the development and diversification of such key sectors as the fuel and energy complex, oil- and gas chemistry, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, wood processing and cellulose industry, wood and coal fuel chemistry, agriculture, transport complex as well as a breakthrough in new science-intensive productions in telecommunications, medicine, public health. The paper considers objectives, structure and tasks of such a program. A conclusion is made that the present legal framework has been not quite satisfactory in tapping the scientific-technological potential of the academic organizations of Siberia for the benefit of the innovative activity in the region.
Estimation of development prospects for the railway system in Russia’s Transportation Strategy
The authors doubt the practicality in attaching priority to the construction of new railway lines, in particular the North-Siberian line, fixed as a priority in the project “Russia’s Transportation Strategy” commissioned by the Ministry of Transportation of the Russian Federation. The authors’ argument against the priority of the NorthSib is that in the nearest years this line will stay under-loaded for the same reason as the BAM does, i.e. because of the absence of due shipping. In the authors’ estimation, the volumes of freight on this line will not approach the Soviet level until 2030. At the same time, its construction will require huge resources, and this makes it necessary to develop the right strategy of separation of costs and results in time so that the priorities in the list of programs and projects are duly justified.
Pre-project evaluations of regional investment initiatives
The paper develops approaches to comprehensive evaluation of the investment bids at an early stage of shaping the investment priorities in a region. The procedures earlier used for individual regions of the Russian Federation are now shown to be used in studies on the whole of Siberia. The object of analysis are estimates made with the modified procedures of the evaluation of investment bid priorities across the regions that are included in the investment passport of the Siberian Federal District.
Assessment of coal methane emission in Kuzbas
The paper gives an environmental-economic measures of the efficiency in extraction and utilization of coal methane of the Kuznetsk basin with consideration of basic notions underlying the Kyoto protocol and the Marrakesh treaty. The efficiency is estimated in three directions: for replacement of the natural gas exported to the EC and APR countries; for production of electric and thermal power for own needs and as combustion air in power plants. It is shown that the use of market mechanisms of the Kyoto protocol essentially enhances the environmental-economic efficiency in utilization of coal methane in all three directions. The effect from natural gas replacement by methane for the export to the APR countries may reach $37-55mln by 2010 without use of coal credit and 50-70% more with this credit.
Economic ethics and corporate culture against the evils of criminalization in the Russian transitive economy
The paper considers the nature, preconditions and prehistory of the emergence, establishment and development of the corporative culture in Russia. It formulates and investigates the directions, factors and conditions in the formation and development of corporative management on Russian enterprises. Three levels in the management of corporative culture are stated, the means of the management of corporative relations within a company are identified.
Regional aspects of financial structuring of business capital
One of the challenges in the reformation of the Russian national economy is development of a mechanism for consolidation of budgetary and corporative factors important for financial success of a company or corporation and budgetary equalization across the regions. This work investigates the key regional aspects in the financial structuring of the capital of enterprises resident in a region on the case of the Irkutsk region. The analysis focuses on such events as erosion of finances, outflow of taxes from the region accompanied by intensive alteration of possession in resources, incomes, property and tax potential.
Agro-industrial policy in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
As one third of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)’s population live in rural places, the problem of their employment is very important. Today its rural economy is characterized by stagnant unemployment, low incomes, poor social infrastructure. All this leads to high rural out-migration and social tension. At the same time, shown are such areas that may increase the agricultural output and improve rural employment and self-employment. It is the development of household production as a relatively non-capital-intensive sphere and of rural industry and its integration in the republican industry; consumer cooperation for marketing the agricultural products.
Formation of financial flows in the development of strategy of municipal development
The analysis focuses on the formation of the financial base of municipal units and its sources and mechanisms. The use of the model of material-financial balance yields a general picture of financial flows coming to the territory and helps determine their assignment. The obtained information can be used to formulate the strategy of the development of the municipal unit and to form a mechanism for its implementation including measures on attracting financial resources.
Economic estimation of life conditions in the Russian North
The paper examines an indicative approach to estimation of rising costs of living and capital in northern latitudinal zones depending on the degree of natural and climate discomfort. It is argued that it is possible and sensible to estimate the physiological consumer basket of northern dwellers on the assumption of rational money expenditures of an average dweller under non-hard budgetary constraints. A compact index system of rise in cost of living and capital is offered on which it is possible to form a system of differentiated state preferences in northern development. The rising costs of labor and capital in northern latitudes are compared with those in the Moscow region. A need in latitudinal zoning of the north of Russia is stated.
Principles of efficient economic development for the aboriginal communities in the Canadian North
The paper reviews the situation of aboriginal peoples of the North of Canada on the case of Inuit over the last four decades. It shows profound changes that have taken place in the life of northern people in the social sphere, culture and economy. These transformations are seen in the formation and establishment of aboriginally-controlled and staffed agencies of state administration of northern areas, delegation of rights and powers from federal to territorial agencies, conclusion of agreements on complicated land claims with Inuit living in Inuvialuit and with Inuit living in Nunavut, Nunavik and Labrador. All these factors have been most intensive in relation to Inuit whose life in economic terms has radically changed.
