The key facts

  • The Russian government will additionally allocate almost 700 million rubles to the Kurgan Region and Perm Krai
  • The money will be used to speed up the construction of treatment facilities, as well as for equipment, pumping stations and the reconstruction of the wastewater network
  • Earlier, the cabinet announced the write-off of 12.5 billion rubles in budget debts of seven regions

Additional funding for water infrastructure

The Russian government will additionally allocate almost 700 million rubles to the Kurgan Region and Perm Krai to speed up the construction of treatment facilities. This was announced by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, whose remarks were cited Gazeta.Ru with reference to RIA Novosti.

What the funds will be used for

According to the prime minister, the money is intended not only for the treatment facilities themselves: the funds are earmarked for equipping them with modern equipment, building new pumping stations and reconstructing the wastewater network. Mishustin added that upgrading the water infrastructure should increase the capacity of utility systems and create more comfort for residents.

Context: writing off regional debts

The announcement of the new allocations followed another cabinet decision: as Mishustin previously stated, the government will write off 12.5 billion rubles in budget loan debt owed by seven Russian regions. The freed-up funds, he said, can be directed by the regions toward work envisaged by the master plans of cities in the Far Eastern Federal District and the Arctic Zone, including the construction of a school and a world-class interuniversity campus. In addition, it was previously reported that Russian regions have become noticeably more active in taking out bank loans.