Content №2 от 2002
Integration of economic policy in the context of globalisation and regionalisation
The distribution of instruments of economic policy among different levels of power in the Russian Federation is compared with that in the USA and EU. It is seen that the process of globalisation reduces national economies into "quasi-regions" when governmental monetary and trade policies are ever more dependent on the world organisations (IMF, WTO etc.) and when the role of the regional level of power increases. The main instrument of economic policy at all levels is the fiscal instrument. In Russia, regional governments cannot effectively influence the economy because of a strong asymmetry in its federal structure. The consistent policy of economic integration currently implemented in the federal districts will address this asymmetry.
The Kaliningrad region: federal and regional aspects of development
The enclave in the west of Russia viewed as a bridge with EU can serve a pilot region for testing the model of international and interregional cooperation. The paper substantiates possible directions of such cooperation.
Prospects of economic growth for the Magadan region
The paper examines the situation in the basic sectors of the Magadan region's economy: extraction of precious stones, fishing and sea products catching. Indicated are the future points of growth under the conditions of a special economic zone.
Approaches to the evaluation of priorities in regional investment policy
The paper considers methodical approaches to investment policies in regions and analyses the trends in investments spatial structure caused by changed motivations. Described are methods by which the state can designate needy regions to support them with investments and thus abate disparities in regional development. A method for comprehensive prioritising the investment variants is suggested.
Households incomes and development of social facilities in the "The Far East and Trans-Baikal Area" program
The analysis of the course of the federal social-economic program for the Far East and the Trans-Baikal area in 1996-2000 has shown the need in its correction for the period extending to 2010. The foreseen correction relates to household incomes and development of social facilities, which are progressively falling below the national average. Described are the correction measures in the social sphere of the region as well as problems anticipated in the implementation of the program social bloc.
Consequences of Russian economy fragmentation
The paper considers a hypothetical paradigm of Russia's disintegration into independent regional republics and appraises the results of this disintegration on the basis of inter-industry inter-regional optimisation model. Rise of transport tariffs and ensuing reduction of the resource complex of Siberia may lead the European manufacturing complex of the country to reorientation to import markets resources. This would mean a real jeopardy for Russia of losing its resource security, of rise in prices of imported resources and drop of efficiency of the whole national economy. For a short time, some of the resource regions of Siberia may sustain the competition in the APN market of resources, but, being despoiled of the home consumer in the European part of the country, will gradually curtail their final consumption. Therefore, the hypothetical strategy of the country's fragmentation is doomed to higher dependence on external markets and to choke of the national production even in earlier successful regions.
The diagnosis of the economic security of basic services in the Arctic zone of the Republic of Sakha (Iakutia)
Discussed is an approach to federal standards of basic services in dispersed Arctic settlements and forms of state aid to them based on indicators of economic security. The analysis has shown that the orientation to the old transport scheme of early delivery and remote suppliers can be very dangerous, while the shift to direct deliveries can considerably improve the provision of Arctic settlements in the Republic of Sakha (Iakutia). Another source of improvement is modernisation of the energy infrastructure in these settlements and development of their own oil and gas sector that will decrease their demand for imported fuel by 30-40%.
Management of forest complex at the regional level.
The paper discusses the system of management of the forest complex of the Khabarovsk region in the present environment. It gives a formal logical scheme of the complex and states that the existing requirements to forest complex management are inconsistent with the idea of its being an uniform social, ecological and economic system. The management goals achievement is evaluated with the help of the utility function.
Problems of classified cities
Analysed is the economy of classified spatial-administrative units of Russia formed in the Soviet period to provide national security with a nuclear shield. The change of priorities in favour of nuclear disarmament has brought financial and economic instability to major enterprises of the Atomic Ministry and economic depression to the classified cities. The author examines reasons for which the law of conversion is inapplicable to major defence enterprises. He thinks that the principle of scientific-technical cycle (life cycle) in creation and development of missile-nuclear shield of the USSR should be extended to classified cities too, where new types of weapons are designed and produced.
Main tendencies in the regional development of the Republic of Belarus
The paper analyses regional development in the Republic of Belarus and possible ways of its reformation. In order to secure the first success in the socially oriented market policy it is necessary to reform the system of state regulation of regional development by exploiting the experience of other countries with economy in transition. The regional reform is one of the conditions for government decentralisation, for economic growth on the basis of rationally organised local government.
Russia in the globalised world: new requirements to development strategy
Today Russia needs self-identification, it has to find new orientation points for development. In this context, globalisation processes can be viewed as additional „external conditions" where self-identification should be found. These external conditions appear also as an additional system of criteria, according to which it is necessary to test the correctness of made decisions, their appropriateness to the future, if of course we are not going to stay on the outskirts of the history. The paper highlights the following problems: what kind of national state we are building and what will be its relations with the general public and with every citizen in particular? What economic equilibrium is required? What is the optimal social model for today's and tomorrow's Russia? To what place and role in the world in XXI century does our country aspires to?
