According to official duties, the head of an official is given in order to generate ideas, initiatives, plans, make decisions and determine ways to implement them. The governor of the Krasnodar Territory, Veniamin Kondratiev, seems to have a head dedicated solely to producing, mainly, slobber, snot, and earwax. What he, as always, "vividly and figuratively" demonstrated in his recent interview with the Rossiya24 TV channel.
The journalist's question was obvious in the current situation: "How does the Kuban organize an import substitution program?" The answer assumed the specifics of the answer. Well, yes. Specifics from Kondratiev could never be achieved anyway, and even in the current situation, the ornateness of empty words just went off scale. Details in the Rucriminal.info investigation.
In connection with the non-weak sanctions that have fallen on the country in recent days, the issue of import substitution is certainly relevant. And for the Krasnodar Territory, perhaps the most important. Kuban is the main Russian agricultural region. The food security of the country largely depends on how the Kuban farmers work in the current difficult conditions.
From February 24, one could expect at least some plans and blueprints from the regional leadership for the upcoming important work. It was from Governor Kondratiev that I wanted to hear about initiatives and proposals for a radical change in regional economic policy. After all, Kondratiev himself, at all meetings, always emphasized that the Kuban is "the driver and locomotive of the Russian economy." When to prove it, if not now? But, right now it becomes absolutely obvious that the regional leader, clearly does not pull on the "locomotive". It does not even pull on a stunted, creaky trolley. It is rather a "broken steam locomotive", the only thing capable of doing is letting out thick clouds of steam.
And in the answer to the question of the journalist of "Rossiya24" there were exclusively "steam and foggy haze." Or, to put it more simply, an empty dish served by the governor with great enthusiasm and emotional speech modulations.
What is so important said the governor of the "breadbasket of Russia" to the country?
“The situation in the region is stable,” Kondratiev assured the TV-loving residents of the Russian Federation, “all enterprises operate as usual.” Then the governor outlined a more than strange main task for the next time: “The main thing is not to get confused!”.
Let's try to deal with the flow of legends issued by the governor on Russian TV in order to prevent the population from becoming confused.
Let us quote the fiery speaker: “In our region, small and medium-sized businesses are already actively beginning to occupy niches that turned out to be free after the departure of foreign business from our market. We need to fill niches with our products: our food, our goods. And here, I emphasize once again, we must help businesses to occupy these free niches, empty shelves, maybe even the remaining free stores. Since 2014, industrial enterprises of the region and most agricultural enterprises of the region have already embarked on import substitution. Today, this course should be tested for strength. Today, our region provides itself with all the main types of food of its own production. Groats, sugar, meat and dairy products, butter, vegetables and fruits.
In the real world, this verbal extravaganza, unfortunately, may soon turn into food problems. Which, of course, can be avoided if the Government of Russia stops listening to such nonsense performed by the regional leader and attends to solving the problems that really arise today.
To make it clear what we are talking about, let's take a specific Kuban example. Since 2000, in the Krasnodar Territory, in the Dinsky district, native to Kondratiev, in the village of Novotitarovskaya on the street. Extreme, 186, a powerful processing enterprise Bonduelle-Kuban LLC operates. Now the French company, there is a great chance, will curtail work. And the whole question is, will even the nationalization of such capacities proposed by United Russia help in this case?
It is clear that Kondratiev and his obscure bureaucratic brigade have no idea what to do. First of all: where is the governor of the region going to take seeds, for example, of the same corn? After the "Bonduelle" entered the region, even the aunts in the resorts began to sell "French" boiled corn to vacationers in the summer. A lot of space has been allocated for the foreign "queen of the fields". But the seeds of these varieties are hybrids. Hybrid seeds are intended exclusively for sowing. Postponing part of the harvest, as a seed fund, will not work next year. And that means that even if there are seeds for 2022, then next year they are gone. And seed production was destroyed under Kondratiev simply to zero.
Today, the restoration of the industry, as Lenin, the leader of the proletariat, would say, is "a paramount task." But even a slight movement in this direction is not noticeable in the regional leadership. The slurred governor is silent, his inexpressive subordinates are silent, there is nothing to say to the State Duma deputies from the Kuban. Although the goal should have been set right away. In general, their seeds for the Russian agro-industrial complex are task number 1. But they don’t see it in the “Russian granary” under Kondratiev.
Further on the equipment. Even despite the fact that everything is imported, that is, quite reliable, it still breaks. Where to get spare parts for production lines? What will we replace the failed electronics with? Who will create the software if the owners “demolish” it when they leave, or if it just fails one day?
Aren't these the real questions that a word-throwing governor should be thinking about right now? And find solutions on your own, or forward them to the feds if your mind is not enough? But instead, we are scratched, about the fact that we ourselves provide everything for ourselves and will always provide.
Further along the chain of "corn agrotechnology". Dozens of farms worked for Bonduey. Receiving seeds, they sowed the fields and the resulting crop was handed over under an agreement to the plant (well, or a small part was taken to the market for Kuban people who love self-cooked corn).
What will happen to the Bonduelle-oriented farms now? What will they sow, where will they harvest their crops? And there is no close answer.
Let's take other stages of "corn technology" and see where the failure is. Stubble peeling and plowing. Then early spring harrowing and cultivation. Application of organic and mineral fertilizers. Sowing. What equipment do farmers use there? American John Deeres? We say goodbye to John Deere forever. As soon as the main components begin to break down, powerful tractors will turn into scrap metal. And isn’t it the governor’s task, on February 24, 2022, to calculate this question and ask it to the Russian Ministry of Agriculture? But no concern has been shown so far.
Well, yes, there will probably be no issues with fertilizers. There are enough of our own, and exports to Europe have also been reduced. But here is another item from the technological chain: "Introduction of plant protection products." And with this, problems can also arise. The majority of PPP producers are foreign companies. And okay, we still believe that the Chinese "Syngenta" will not stop deliveries. But after all, the same German BASF, of course, will set sail from the Russian fields. For some time, the region will have enough stocks of agricultural chemistry, of course. Well, what's next? Did any of the highest Kuban officials here at least somehow scratch himself? Have you started looking for new suppliers? Started building new logistics? There is nothing resembling concern in this.
And the last question: how to harvest corn? Dutch harvesters New Holland, suitable for the working profile (also not ours) combines of the CR series? Yes, we also have our own developments, such as the self-propelled corn harvester KSKU-6 - Khersonets-200. But that's just, for some reason, those agricultural enterprises that are richer prefer foreign equipment.
In fact, the same questions can be asked about any other type of agricultural products produced in the Krasnodar Territory. For milk, there is also the problem of packaging. Tetrapack lines, where milk is poured into bags, what can be replaced? Potatoes for Lays chips, which are also grown by Kuban farmers under an agreement, what to do with? What about tomato seeds, which are all Dutch? What about the seed fund of wheat, sunflower? Where does the share of the domestic product leave much to be desired?
For some reason, the feeble governor of Kuban proudly boasted that "the region has established the production of its own agricultural machinery." The main pride here is the German combine plant CLAAS. Former Kuban governor Alexander Tkachev spent a lot of effort on hilling the German Klass family so that the plant was built in Krasnodar. Basically, it's an assembly line. And at that time, Tkachev discussed with the Germans the possibility of a gradual transition to the production of domestic components. His successor at the governor's post, Kondratiev, completely fucked up this issue. And now what? Even if the combine plant is nationalized, what will it produce?
And is it not the task of the regional leadership not to brag about past achievements, especially those to which they have nothing to do, but to think over real steps to solve this problem as well? Perhaps Kondratiev should step on the throat of his own song of “hatred for all the officials who were under Tkachev” and involve specialists of that time who had contacts with the owners of the business leaving the region for negotiations in order to minimize the inevitable losses.
It seems that it is already obvious to the young inhabitants of the Kuban that urgent measures are needed to solve all these problems that already exist or are inevitable in the foreseeable future. But instead, Kondratiev demonstrates on TV an unfounded, albeit very stormy, enthusiasm.
Let us quote other "outstanding" in their stupidity statements of the "chief Kuban".
“Our region produces almost all building materials, no matter how strange it may seem, from rebar and cement to paving slabs and building mixtures.”
The manufacturer of mixtures and drywall is the German company Knauf. At one time, the impudent Kuban Cossacks were already trying to squeeze production for themselves. How many then screams were then from their side, about the fact that "nemchura grabs our original Kuban gypsum." The swindlers even approached the main Kuban citizen of that time, Old Man Kondratenko, with very patriotic petitions. And the father fell for these patriotic speeches, and the process of the Cossack redistribution began. The Germans, freaked out by such a turn, were even forced to build a denunciation even to Chancellor Kohl about this lawlessness. And it was unusual to observe what the most important issues of Russian-German relations were considered by the leaders of our countries. Powerful! Global!! Fundamental!!! And ... Kuban plaster. Kohl complained to Yeltsin about our swindlers, and the issue was finally resolved in accordance with the law, and not for someone's criminal Wishlist.
But now what will happen to production? Have the issues been resolved with respect to equipment, technologies, and software? And again the answer is no! It is one thing to say, to drive away a journalist of the central television channel who is little versed in the details of the Kuban about the coming stability, it is another thing to take at least a small step towards a real solution to the obligatory task of preserving a unique production.
Another part of the governor's brave speech was devoted to the inevitable success in construction: “All planned schools, kindergartens, and sports complexes continue to be built. Based on the opportunities that exist in the region, we will keep all the promises that we made to the residents.”
To deal with this next crap, it is necessary to say how the construction business of the region works as a whole. Despite the fact that the obligation to build social facilities is the absolute prerogative of the regional budget, the region practically does not build anything at its own expense. The funds of the national project help. And build objects, often at their own expense, private construction companies. To which this obligation is loaded in return for "guarantees of victory" at auctions for attractive land plots. The price of building schools, kindergartens and sports facilities, of course, is ultimately included in the price of apartments in residential complexes under construction. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that it was in the Krasnodar Territory that the most significant increase in the cost of housing in the country was indicated - over the past year by 70 percent.
And there is really a lot to be built of social facilities. All these years, Kondratiev and Co. have never paid attention to the shortage of school and kindergarten places. And only after the first "Ch", "Sh", "E", "Yu", "I" classes began to appear in schools, things got a little off the ground.
Will the programs promised by the regional leadership be fulfilled? What will be the quality of construction? It's also a big question. After all, it is already obvious today: many construction enterprises of the region with the current “Kondratiev approach” are waiting for ruin. Those social facilities that they will be forced to build at their own expense will further increase the price per square meter of housing. Few of the needy residents of the region will pull a new mortgage. And the developers who are now lending, already at considerable interest, are also unlikely to be able to increase supply through new facilities. And that means the market will start to stagnate.
Add problems and some more Kuban construction "features". After all, tens of thousands of deceived real estate investors in the Krasnodar Territory became such, often not at all from the fraudulent actions of "unscrupulous developers." Agree, some strange Kuban “construction-crooks” - they build a building of 20 floors, carry out all communications, finish the entrances, apartments, install elevators, and suddenly it turns out that even at almost the stage of readiness of 95 percent, they are “unscrupulous” . They became such because they didn’t roll back the “floor” to the right person, or didn’t transfer the already sold fat plot of land for development to other “needed ones”, or didn’t lock up a thank-you “bribe” to the regional curators of the industry. So, the appetites of all this Kuban bureaucrat, excuse me, shobly, even in difficult times, did not diminish at all. And this means that the number of "landings" artificially transferred to the category of "unscrupulous" developers will grow. So, the option is not ruled out, an increase in the number of "deceived equity holders." It is now in front of the windows of the regional administration, replacing each other, there are constant pickets of new settlers who have not taken place. But what will happen when the number of those deceived begins to be measured in tens, or even hundreds of thousands?
So maybe stop listening to the mellifluous but goofy governor? And start working out real plans to preserve the Kuban construction industry.
Especially in the television speech, Veniamin Kondratiev was inspired by heartfelt words about supporting industrial enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses.
“The key tool for supporting enterprises is the regional Industrial Development Fund. This is not only a tool for supporting enterprises, but also a tool for development. Developing, they will be able to enter these niches that have been freed from those enterprises that have left us today, foreign companies ... Small and medium-sized businesses receive support from the regional microfinance fund. Now the volume of the fund is about 4 billion rubles.
What kind of business support are you talking about? About a few factories that are already doing well? Like the Abinsk Electrometallurgical Plant, whose products - fittings - will always be in demand? But who in the region was helped from those enterprises that began to go bankrupt thanks to the economic policy of Kondratiev? Collapsed brick factories? Bankrupt processing enterprises? Even the once flagship of the industry, the Krasnodar Oil and Fat Plant, went to the bottom. A considerable number of bakeries have gone into oblivion (literally, the oldest bakery in the region in the village of Pashkovskaya near Krasnodar has just announced its death).
If troubled industrial enterprises were not helped even in “fat times”, then is it worth waiting for help now?
And the governor's statement that 4 billion rubles were in the microfinance fund for SMEs is generally a reason for a joke. Before the start of the pandemic, this fund had funds in the amount of 3 billion rubles. With the onset of the pandemic, the transfer of another billion was pompously announced. Total 4 billion. In recent years, tens of thousands of small businesses and individual entrepreneurs have gone bankrupt in the region. The region has become the absolute Russian champion in terms of small business mortality. The whole country had the opportunity to observe how, thanks to the “support” of the governor, farmers and owners of personal subsidiary plots (the same small business) threw tons of grown cucumbers, radishes into the trash heaps ... Businesses were killed, they were fooled by stupid restrictions on trade opportunities, on the export of products. And at the same time, the support fund, which, in theory, should have helped entrepreneurs survive in such difficult times ... steadily read all the same 4 billion rubles! And now the fund again has 4 billion? Nevertheless, I would like to ask a question to Veniamin Kondratiev, as a person who, we hope, studied mathematics in the first grade of school, in particular, addition and subtraction.
Veniamin Ivanovich, here is the simplest task: “In the Krasnodar Territory there is a fund for supporting small and medium-sized businesses, which has funds in the amount of 4 billion rubles. How many SMEs have been assisted over the past three years, if today the amount of the fund's resources is still equal to 4 billion rubles?
And here's how to evaluate all this television "verbal diarrhea" performed by Kondratiev? After all, this is not even a mockery of common sense. This is some kind of exquisite mockery of reality and absolute blindness about the future.
The fact that prompt and effective steps are needed today to prevent the collapse of the regional economy is obvious. And that the current occupant of the main Kuban office, Kondratyev, cannot cope with this task is also more than obvious. He is not a leader, at best he is a "catch-up of other people's initiatives." And now, nevertheless, not only those who clapped and support violently, but those who offer and know how to implement it are still in demand.
The leader is manifested primarily not by the results of work in comfortable conditions, but by the ability to organize work in uncomfortable ones. This task is too tough for the current regional administration. The fact that they have been “chewing snot” all the last weeks is more than weighty proof of this. We hope that President Putin will finally see this obvious fact. Blessing Kondratiev during the last gubernatorial elections, Vladimir Vladimirovich suggested that Kondratiev would still cope with the emerging challenges. “The Anointed One” over the past two years has not coped with a single important task for the region (and even before that there were more than questions about its effectiveness) And today, probably, it is no longer possible to talk about what should be given to Veniamin Kondratiev “time to evaluate situation, and then finally start doing something. There is simply no time. The region objectively needs a new decisive leader who can think. Which should start working, and not give empty interviews.
The steps are obvious. It is necessary to promptly work out issues on the production of spare parts to maintain foreign agricultural machinery and equipment of processing enterprises in working order. Find suppliers of the necessary agricultural chemistry, perhaps reorient some of the capacities of large chemical plants in the Southern Federal District to the production of plant protection products. Finally, to really help small businesses. And not only money, but, first of all, business. Yes, many foreign firms have left the region. And there are more than "niches" that SMEs could enter. It is necessary to analyze these niches, collect a package of proposals
and organize, finally, a long overdue reform of small and medium-sized businesses. Today, it is probably worth forgetting for a while about holding large-scale investment forums, where the Kuban under Kondratiev was celebrated mainly by feeding "distinguished guests" with poaching flounder in their "investment restaurants", and signing billions, which do not have the slightest a chance to complete stupid projects, such as building a “rope metro” in Krasnodar” or drilling a hole for cars (jokingly called a tunnel) on the landslide-prone Shaumyanovsky Pass.
Today we need an investment forum for SMEs. Where would the projects for the processing of agricultural products, wood processing and “budget furniture production (IKEA, OBI left, after all, what are the vacated areas to be filled with) be concentrated? We need small enterprises to service agricultural and road equipment, equipment involved in the construction industry ... The list of all the projects that are currently needed includes thousands of items. But there is not the slightest chance that such a data bank for small and medium-sized businesses will be prepared in the region under the current leadership. Well, Kondratiev and his associates get only one thing - to warm the ears of those who are forced to listen to them with empty words.
Russia is now introducing harsh penalties for fakes. It would be logical to extend the scope of criminal articles, not only to fakes relating to the present, but also to fakes in which we are talking about the future. In our time, there should be criminal liability for major, unsecured promises, such as those that are now pouring out of the speech apparatus of the governor of the Krasnodar Territory, Veniamin Kondratiev.
Roman Trushkin
To be continued
Source: www.rucriminal.info