Russia's First Vice-PM setting targets for massive upgrade of fishery industry onshore infrastructure
At a recent meeting on fishery issues Russia's First Vice-Premier Viktor Zubkov supervising the industry has made a projection that the nation's catch of aquatic biological resources in 2009 may reach 3.7 million metric tons while the share of domestic products on the nation's market could approach 70%, reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to Russia's Federal Fisheries Agency.
Such ambitious plans of the industry's development encourage faster implementation of modern infrastructure for products receiving, processing, storage, transportation and sales at affordable prices, Zubkov said. Towards that end the Government should take complex measures, most of them to be paid for from non-budget funds. On the budget side, subsidies of interest rates at the total sum of 1.1 billion RUB will become one of the stimuli provided by the Government to attract investments into the sector.
From its side, the Federal Fisheries Agency has prepared a number of proposals aimed at meeting the above targets:
- conduct analysis of the needs of the domestic market in fish products,
- draw up a list of onshore infrastructural units,
- define the needs in extra capacities,
- credit construction of infrastructural objects,
- use leasing mechanisms for their outfitting,
- optimize logistics schemes of seafood transportation,
- decrease transport charges for seafood shipments,
- develop wholesale and retail fish trade,
- take measures of customs and tariff regulation to protect domestic producers,
- work out regional programs for onshore infrastructure development,
- sign agreements with the regions on implementation of the federal target program for fishery industry.
As a result of the meeting, Viktor Zubkov has commissioned the Federal Fisheries Agency to submit to the Cabinet the above Complex development measures for onshore fish processing infrastructure after collecting the necessary consents from the involved Government's bodies.
The issue of development of modern infrastructure for fish receiving, processing, storage, transportation and sales processing development is to be considered again at one of the meetings of Russia's Government in May 2009.