MOSCOW - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to increase incomes of Russian citizens in 2012.
The number of Russians living below the poverty line was halved in the past decade to 12.5%, he told the government presidium on Thursday.
"Translating this indicator into the international statistics language, we have approximately 26% of people living below the poverty line by international standards," he said.
Putin acknowledged that this indicator was comparable with such countries as Greece and Spain, where about 20% of people live below the poverty line. In the United States, the poor account for 18% of the population.
In Russia, the poverty indicator remained almost unchanged last year, Putin said. Salaries rose by more than 70%, but people’s real incomes inched up by a mere 0.4-0.5%. The slow growth owes to insignificant increases in pensions and social payments, he concluded.
"This requires the most meticulous attention in 2012. The government should ensure a decent growth of people’s incomes, including in the budget sector," the premier said.
