The Saturday issue of "The Pridnestrovie" newspaper published a large interview with the PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky. The interviewer is the editor-in-chief of the publication Alexander Karasev. The interlocutors talked mainly about domestic politics. The material was published under the title "It’s Time to Move On".
- Good day, Vadim Nikolaevich. Thank you for the opportunity to ask our readers’ questions of concern. The period of “isolation” of journalists was very long. Official reports have become the main source of information for us due to the pandemic. Today's conversation is of particular value. The first question, respectively, is about the pandemic and the prospects for its leveling. What should Pridnestrovians expect?
- The question is clear and very complicated. The past year and a half have shown that one cannot count on the predictability of the situation with the spread of coronavirus. It has its own laws that defy public logic. As they say, we already know the enemy by sight and can resist. It is important. I would like to note that Pridnestrovie is coping with this new evil with dignity. We consolidated at the very first stages of the pandemic, did not miss the moment of taking restrictive and preventive measures and survived even at peak times. Yes, it was difficult – both for those who made decisions and for those who had to execute. There were doubters, there were dissatisfied, and there were those who tried to sabotage the mechanism that was so hard to build. The tools were selected along the way, the tactics had to be changed based on the circumstances. The main thing has been done: the system for ensuring the safety of citizens has been launched, is functioning successfully and bearing fruit, the incidence of diseases has begun to decline. It's too early to talk about complete victory. Perhaps, mass vaccination will be able to nullify the pandemic. At least I really count on it. There are already tens of thousands of vaccinated citizens in the republic. Coverage could be much greater if vaccines were readily available. Funds for the purchase of vaccines for Pridnestrovians are included in the budget. The manufacturers' options are limited. Therefore, so far we have only the vaccine provided as humanitarian aid at our disposal. I would like to express my gratitude to the organizations and officials who made the decision to provide us with the vaccine. We keep our finger on the pulse, we study the offers of various manufacturers appearing on the market. It is important to give the residents of the republic the right to choose: to be vaccinated or not, and which vaccine to give preference to.
It is also difficult to make predictions as for the expectations about the return of the usual way of life. This is not the first time we have extended quarantine restrictions at the border. God forbid, and we will no longer have to be quarantined. But it's not worth guessing. According to circumstances. If this is required by the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the republic and abroad, we will take appropriate measures. Restrictions are also being relaxed inside the country. Everyone can see it. The main thing is to remain vigilant. Many people joke: the pandemic taught everyone to wash their hands. Yes, amongst other things. It taught us many lessons. What a test this is for the health care system! I want to note that, despite all the complaints, sometimes well-grounded, the Ministry of Health coped with the load with dignity. It is easy to argue from the outside, to give assessments. Try to work in the "red zone" without taking off your protective suit for days, not sleep for several shifts, decide on the treatment of a disease whose behavior is unpredictable, worry if there is enough oxygen for everyone in need. I have already said that for me doctors, militiamen who side by side fought the spread of infection, military volunteers who changed their uniforms for the protective clothing of orderlies are all heroes of this time. Some were awarded the title of "Person of the Year", but everyone deserved it. This time there was no opportunity (all because of the same quarantine restrictions) to congratulate, thank, shake hands with each laureate of the annual competition. The ceremony was conditional, recorded for the television version. I am sure there will be an opportunity to communicate more. We must cross the pandemic line and move on. This is necessary for civil society, business, and the country's economy.
- I cannot but ask about the education sector in the context of the pandemic. Do you think remote control will come around in the future?
- Of course, distance learning is an unequal alternative to the traditional one. But we would either endanger the mass infection of children without it (for me there is no question of what priority is health or study, the choice is unambiguous), or for schoolchildren and students, the whole year of the educational process would fall out. Everyone understands that the quality of education during this period could have declined. We'll have to make up. I want to note that we need to look for not only minuses, but also pluses in everything. It is necessary to introduce distance learning forms. This makes it possible to maximally involve in the educational process those who, for example, cannot attend educational institutions for health reasons. It is very important. The pandemic pushed us in this direction. The schools were promptly provided with the Internet and computers. There was not enough money, hands did not reach this point previously. It is a plus. Young teachers have become more actively involved in the development of school curricula taking into account new trends. It is also a plus. This experience will be useful in the future. It is only important to be smart about business.
Returning to the question that there are children for whom distance is a real opportunity to fully learn. Home education was rare earlier, there was no working mechanism. I remember a case, the parents of a graduate, an excellent student, who did not receive a gold medal due to non-certification in physical education, turned to me for help. AND this child with special needs and therefore studied as an external student. Where is the logic? I had to personally intervene to correct the injustice then. Why did I mention this situation? Moreover, the forcedly launched distance learning mechanism will be in demand in the future. We must reasonably approach its implementation. I have no doubt that our children will catch up.
- Dual education is another educational issue. This is your initiative. How is it implemented?
- Dual education is not my know-how. This is a system actively practiced in the world. It operated in our country as well. We tried to improve it, give a new impetus. What's the point? The goal is to bring labor market participants as close as possible, to balance supply and demand. The post-Soviet period "clouded" the importance of blue-collar occupations.
Everyone rushed to get higher education in supposedly prestigious, but absolutely unclaimed sectors. Lawyers, economists – this has become just a household name. Young people spent five years in institutes in order to put a diploma on the shelf and only after that begin to search for their professional direction, to use their abilities. Higher education in its current form has lost its value and status. Industry, agriculture, and the service sector are experiencing a colossal shortage of trained personnel at the same time. We need working hands. So it was suggested that business entities cooperate with educational institutions for joint work on the formation of human resources. Now the system involves eight organizations of secondary vocational education and 28 enterprises. Specialists are trained in 18 professions. More than one hundred people are involved in the educational process. This academic year, students graduate who have received such specialties as a shoe assembler, a tailor, a specialist in the field of metallurgy under the program of practice-oriented training – 36 graduates totally. 274 highly-demanded specialists have been trained (electricians, tractor drivers, seamstresses, locksmiths) since 2018, since the beginning of the program. It is important that the system is flexible and adaptable to the request. Interest in the program, by the way, is shown not only by school graduates. Do you know what is the most demanded specialty among the adult population? This is tractor driver. This suggests that people want to learn and develop, they want to raise industry and agriculture. The last year, for example, has shown how significant land reclamation is. Farmers are ready to invest in irrigation systems, but what are they facing? There are no specialists who would serve this type of agricultural equipment. Here it is, a real need. An immediate prompt response: from September 1, on the basis of our educational institutions, the training of specialists in this profile will begin. One example is forestry. They also need personnel, they will be trained in Pridnestrovie.
Another element that will be included in the training program for workers is training and production facilities. Those who are older remember it. Recently, not all cities and districts have operated this system within the framework of school education. There are a lot of children who being schoolchildren want to get work skills and the corresponding document. It was decided to revive and intensify this practice. Local technical schools have been invited to cooperate. With their assistance the children without interruption from the main educational process will receive an applied profession and if necessary will be able to find a job immediately after leaving school.
- Last month, public sector wages were raised, a little earlier – pensions. The period for the payment of child benefits has been extended. All this is an additional burden on the budget. How do you manage to do this, given the difficult economic situation?
- The growth of salaries and pensions is a planned event. Of course, carving out funds is very difficult especially when unforeseen circumstances interfere with the plans. The pandemic the same, bad weather, restrictions on the part of neighbors who by all means stop the development of our economy. Therefore, it is necessary to reshape the budget, to give up something, to postpone some projects until later period. Pridnestrovie was and remains a socially oriented state with a market economy. Everything that the state earns is spent on people. What are these expenses? At first glance, the main thing is payments (salaries, pensions, benefits, etc.). What about the finding of children in kindergartens, education - school, additional, professional, medical care, road construction and repair, improvement of sports grounds and park areas? All this is also social support for citizens. We are trying to systematically move in all directions: to raise salaries and improve the infrastructure. It's complicated, especially when external factors negatively affect the realization of the economic potential of Pridnestrovie. We have a good industrial and agricultural base, we have working hands and bright minds. Investors are showing interest in us. We have to overcome such obstacles as, for example, the unresolved (not our fault) banking issue. A serious test was the closure of borders around the world due to the pandemic. Consumer demand fell, including for the products of our enterprises. Drought added problems. Unexpected difficulties, force majeure circumstances constantly appear. That's life. We do not give up. We are increasing the same pensions and salaries as much as possible, and we are supplying water to the villages, we are lighting the streets and putting the roads in order. Do you know that more than 30 million rubles have been spent on providing villages with a centralized water supply in recent years, and more than 50 million on repairing rural roads? Everyone sees how cities are changing. All this is social support, all this is done for every resident of the republic.
- This week, another house was commissioned under the presidential program of affordable housing for state employees – in Dnestrovsk. This project covered almost the entire republic. Should we wait for the continuation of the program?
- Yes, indeed, we opened a house in Dnestrovsk on Tuesday. It is symbolic that the event took place on Children's Day. Returning to the previous question, this program is also a form of support for the population. Children will grow up in comfortable apartments, parents will not have to leave to work abroad in order to provide their families with housing. What is the essence of the program? The idea is that each state employee can gradually pay the cost of square meters from his salary. Traditional lending for these purposes is too expensive for many, but the state cannot yet take over the full financing of housing construction. So the mechanism for mutually beneficial partnership was developed. Pridnestrovians monthly contribute an amount that is feasible for the family budget. The cost of apartments is affordable: a square meter of housing on average is about one hundred conventional units. The project has already proven its relevance and effectiveness. We have eliminated practically all unfinished construction projects in the republic. I have already said once that it is a pity that there were not so many of them. The program has already included almost a dozen objects. Ten houses were leased. A few more are in the process. We are looking for other options for solving the housing issue. The next stage is subsidizing the acquisition of housing by citizens in the secondary market. The idea also found a response among the residents of the republic. This is understandable, because the secondary market is saturated, and there is no way to acquire the cherished square meters. The state helps by allocating credit resources for a long term and at low interest rates, as well as covering part of the expenses. Citizens, in turn, remain in the country, take on labor obligations. It's a good, honest partnership.
- The capital investment fund has become a sign of our time, an important component of the socio-economic policy of Pridnestrovie. How effective and viable is the program?
- The capital investment fund, even if we talk about its expediency at the moment, has already proved its effectiveness. Of course, there have been no such infrastructural changes for the better in the modern history of our state. We were "wearing out" what was left of the Soviet era. Literally everything is worn out: hospitals, schools and kindergartens, houses of culture and libraries, roads, communications. Everything requires attention and money. Cutting them out from disparate sources is extremely difficult. We need a financial basis. This is what the Capital Investment Fund has become. I will not list what has been done during the operation of this program, since the result is in plain sight. There is still much to be done. Therefore, it is more than premature to talk about curtailing the program. Circumstances require constant revision of development programs. You have to prioritize, prioritize. You have no idea how difficult it is to make a decision when you have to postpone the repair of an object. People are waiting, hoping. But sequestration cannot be avoided. The same pandemic: how much financial resources it demanded. Where to get the funds? We have to look at the Capital Investment Fund. But, on the other hand, if we did not have the fund, the reserve, where would the funds be obtained? This is a kind of backup source. So we try to avoid panic. If it is necessary to divert funds for a while, we do it. But at the first opportunity, we return to the Capital Investment Fund objects. The program operates and will operate exactly as long as there is a need for it. There are still a lot of requests and appeals from citizens.
- On the issue of citizens' appeals. During the pandemic, personal admission was suspended. How do you keep in touch with the residents of the republic?
- There is no personal reception, but the service responsible for interaction with citizens is functioning in full force. Applications come to the post office as well. Working with them is an important part of my daily work. I try to delve into every question, every problem. Naturally, specialists are involved in the decision - working bodies of the Presidential Administration, ministries and departments in the relevant profile.
- What about social media posts? Do they matter to you?
- Why not? Sure. People write about what worries them, raise urgent problems. It is impossible for one person, and indeed for the whole control apparatus, to grasp with attention everything and everyone. Citizens are real helpers in this respect. Now I'm not talking about provocateurs. Although they, whether they want it or not, albeit in a negative way, they also help, denoting the problem. My thanks to them. Modern means of communication are an excellent tool for rapid response. Unfortunately, their essence and functionality were seriously distorted. But nevertheless, they fulfill their task. I am not an active user of social networks, and, of course, I do not follow what is happening there. There is neither time nor desire. But employees monitor messages, select those that deserve attention, inform me about situations requiring intervention. It is a very convenient format that allows you to quickly solve problems. I once instructed all ministries, departments, state administrations to organize communication with citizens through social networks, a kind of "hot lines" with the possibility of feedback. It works and gives a positive result.
- A question that worries many, but they do not dare to ask it yet. Are you planning to run for a second presidential term?
- Everything has its time. Such a decision will be made, the Pridnestrovians will definitely learn about it, of course, personally from me. So far, I can say one thing: the current team is effective. It is strong in its consolidation, unity of positions, goals and objectives, an understanding that Pridnestrovie is worthy of development, and most importantly, vision of how to achieve the best for the country. The current team is the people of deed.