Overview
- At a Strategic Development Council meeting, Vladimir Putin set six systemic tasks for 2026, led by an immediate start to a structural plan through 2030 to create higher-paid, high-tech jobs and boost domestic value added.
- He demanded faster execution of technological leadership projects and securing their financing, including non‑budgetary sources, with the goal of producing globally competitive Russian solutions rather than simple import substitution.
- Putin made the 'whitening' of the economy a core task, ordering drastic cuts to illegal employment, stronger controls over cash circulation, safeguards so a VAT increase does not push firms into the shadows, and an accelerated timeline for related measures.
- The president pressed for broader productivity gains by involving high‑employment sectors and extending improvement projects to state and municipal social organizations, and he called for stronger regional components so growth reaches all federal subjects.
- Citing a 2025 growth slowdown to about 1% with inflation near or below 6% and low unemployment, officials said conditions exist to lift economic momentum, while social steps include expanded family support and use of a corporate demographic standard.