The anti-crisis programmes have rescued municipal budgets, Dmitry Medvedev said. However, federal and regional assistance cannot become systemic as it may only produce a short term effect. The Government must and will continue exploring ways to expand the tax revenue sources for local budgets, and a percentage payable to local budgets from a number of taxes will be increased as of January 1, 2011.
Cities and towns do not exist in isolation and it is essential that they are active participants in the technological development of the country and the modernisation of its economy, the President stressed.
Energy saving is a key aspect of modernisation, therefore, all municipal administrations, especially in the Far East, must have their own energy efficiency programmes.
Information transparency in municipalities has an immediate impact on the weight of local authorities, Dmitry Medvedev noted. This should not be disregarded, as municipalities are in essence the public administration and not a bureaucratic mechanism.