The number of monotowns In Russia may be reduced by half

It is planned to significantly reduce the number of monotowns in Russia in order to provide more systematic support to the rest of the cities and towns.  This is evidenced by the decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation published the day before.  The planned reduction reaches 50%, and the criteria by which such an exclusion will be carried out are also named.

The Government believes that it is necessary to remove the settlements located 50 kilometers (or less) from the regional centers from the list of monotowns. Such a location gives residents the opportunity to find jobs in the capitals of the regions, while leaving the jobs in their home cities. This, in turn, will reduce tension on the labor market, according to the Ministry of Economy.

It is assumed that the measure will allow to concentrate on the funds allocated to support monotowns and more systematically provide financial assistance to the remaining settlements.

An indulgence for inclusion in the list of monotowns has been made for the coal settlements of Kuzbass. In this case, it is proposed to reduce the threshold of those leaving factories/plants of monotowns to 10%, previously this figure should be 20%, reports ‘Kommersant’.

At the moment, there is an NPO called ‘Fund for the Development of Monotowns’, which provides financial support to the settlements of Russia included in this list.

By these means, new jobs are subsidized.

The Ministry of Economy has already noted that all support programs, previously launched in monotowns that will be deprived of this status, will nevertheless be brought to the final, which means that the fund will fulfill its obligations in full.