Prospects for Ingushetia: view of its head

On November 26th, the Islamic New Year, 1433, began. Last Saturday the month of  Muharram began. It is one of four months in which God has strictly forbidden any conflicts, wars and quarrels. The head of Ingushetia, who visited Moscow during these days, wished a Happy New Year not only to Muslims, but to all residents of Russia, because, according to Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, religious holidays should correlate to each other, whatever religion they belong to. He said that “in Ingushetia Muslims participate in Christian holidays, together they share food. And of course, nobody will stand back in the republic on Muslim holidays.” Meanwhile, Yevkurov told Moscow journalists about problems ascribed to Ingushetia.

On social facilities

Unfortunately, the republic negatively differs from other regions of Russia in its lack of social facilities. Considering this, we are developing the socio-economic program of Ingushetia’s development, emphasizing the need to construct social facilities. Their lack prevents us from developing the economic aspects. In 2011, we built eight facilities in the economic, education and healthcare spheres. We expect these facilities will help us to reduce grants from the federal center.

On investment climate

Today attention is paid not only to government investment, but also to private investment. Last year investment was 600 million rubles, while this year it is more than 2 billion rubles. This is a breakthrough for Ingushetia. Considering the development of the tourist cluster, the republic expects 5 billion rubles of investments every year. As well as Russian investors we attract foreign investors. For example, businessmen from Poland would like to invest in the agricultural complex of Ingushetia. Unfortunately, there is a lack of professional human resources, but the government tris to cope with the problem. The direction on the federal target program and the position of vice-premier for investment policy were established. Moreover, we established the committee on tourism.

On unemployment

At the moment the authorities of the republic are aimed at decreasing unemployment rate by 10%. Implementation of the federal target program leads to the establishment of new work places, but the state has to permanently finance this program, because Ingushetia has no economically-beneficial facilities which can provide these work places with money. The government of Ingushetia is focused on the development of small individual businesses, which can help the republic to decrease the number of unemployed people. Today only one in every 40 residents of the republic is an individual entrepreneur. We plan to increase the number to every tenth resident of the republic.

The federal program Decrease of Tension in the Labor Market is working effectively as well. Private sector work is a significant support. This year more than 2000 people were involved in this kind of activity, including young people, who also work in seasonal work groups. Farming households are important, because they establish new work places as well, even for a season.

Rosneft plays a significant role in establishing new working places. 51% of the shares in the republic's oil industry were given to the Rosneft company, which also invests in the development of the republic. This year 5 fuel stations have been opened, next year we will privatize more than 20 old fuel stations and reconstruct them for Rosneft.

On return of the Russian-speaking population

The aim is not the return of people who have left the republic, but making people not leave the republic. Today about 7-10% of people have come back. Of course, the number is minimal, but they are still people who understood that it is time to return. We cannot expect that the people who have left the republic and settled in Krasnodar Territory or Stavropol Territory will come back, as the only way they will return is to offer them more favorable economic conditions, a higher salary. If the Russian people who have returned will get a higher salary than the local population it will lead to new conflicts. So we’re paying attention to the return of Russian-speaking families from the former Soviet republics, like Georgia and the Central Asian countries. It is important they move to Ingushetia, because a mono-ethnic republic has no chances for successful development in the contemporary world.

On youth policy

In the sphere of youth policy the government relies on spiritual and moral education. We try to make young people rely on the traditions and customs of their peoples, rather than religion. Because religion is not a mass collective undertaking, it is the individual business of every person, an individual communication with God. Some forces try to manipulate religion and make it collective, but that is not right. We emphasize our traditions, which do not contradict Shariah or the civil laws of Russia. We plan to build a hobby center for young people with investment from Rosneft. Also we want to construct a race track, where young people can go in for automobile sport. Young businessmen get grants from the republic for implementation of their business projects.

On Ingush-Azerbaijani projects

Recently Ingushetia was visited by an Azerbaijani delegation, headed by the ministry of economy of that country Shachin Mustafayev. The delegation from Azerbaijan. consisting of businessmen, visited the city of military glory - Malgobek - and laid flowers to the monument of its defenders, among whom were Azerbaijanis. A whole Azerbaijani division fought for Malgobek during the Great Patriotic War.

Azerbaijani investments in Ingushetia will encourage the development of the Azerbaijani Diaspora in the republic. We agreed on separate directions of cooperation during the NCFD delegation visit to Baku: tourism, agriculture and the construction business.