il [ol

WealalINN ULL LULL

aml ull LLL i LVL | Wiha tee

SE

Nikolai Ryzhkov

tic

Summary of Nikolai Ryzhkov’s report on the Draft Guidelines for the
Economic and Social Development of the USSR for 1986-1900 and for the
Period Ending in 2000, delivered March 3, 1986

The Draft Guidelines for the Eco-
nomic and Social Development of the
USSR for 1986-1990 and for the period
ending in 2000 is an important political
and economic document. Its pivot is the
concept of acceleration advanced by the
April Plenary meeting of the CPSU
Central Committee, said Nikolai
Ryzhkov, member of the Politbureau of
the CPSU Central Committee, chairman
of the Council of Ministers of the
USSR, in his report on this subject
at the 27th Congress of the CPSU,
March 3.

The document on the guidelines is
entirely consonant with the vital
interests of Soviet people, with their
hopes for the future, he said. This was
shown by the truly country-wide mag-
nitude of the discussion of the draft in

| which approximately 110 million citizens

took part.

Summing up the results of the past
five-year plan period (1981-1985), the
speaker pointed out that by their work
the Soviet people made a considerable
contribution to strengthening the
country’s economic might.

However, Ryzhkov went on, work on
the tasks charted by the 26th Congress
proceeded in a complex situation. The
unfavourable tendencies that surfaced in
economic development in the 1970s grew
sharper in the early 1980s rather than
relaxing. The slowdown of the growth
rates continued during the first two
years. The quality indicators of eco-
nomic management deteriorated. In
1982 the growth rate of industrial out-
put was 33.4 per cent below the average
of the period of the past five-year plan.

A number of factors made themselves
felt here, said Ryzhkov. The major
causes of the shortcomings are that no
account was taken in practical activity

of the altered economic situation, con-
nected with the exhaustion on the whole
of the possibilities of extensive growth,
and due persistence was not shown in
using achievements of scientific and
technical progress, in restructuring the
national economy and management in
line with demands of the time.

Besides, both in the centre and in the
localities, many leaders continued to act
by outdated methods and proved to be
unprepared for work in the new condi-
tions. Discipline and order deteriorated
to an intolerable level. There was a
fall in exactingness and responsibility.
The vicious practice of the downward
revision of plans became widespread.

After critically analysing the situa-
tion, the party took steps that gave a cer-
tain impulse to the USSR’s progress. As
a result, beginning in 1983, there were
visible positive changes, and this some-
what compensated for the lag in the
fulfilment of the 11th five-year plan.
During that period the national income
rose 17 per cent, and industrial output
20 per cent.

Targets not met

It should be stressed, Ryzhkov went
on, that despite all the difficulties, the
party made the maximum effort to
achieve the plan targets for the growth
of the living standards of the people.
There was a rise in the average monthly
pay of factory and office workers; the
social consumption funds were enlarged
(they are used to finance free health
care, education of all types, social
security, etc.)

Though much was done in 1981-1985,
the assignments of the five-year plan
were not fully attained. Many industries
were unable to reach the planned tar-
gets. The country did not receive the

Industrial Production

as il

eas WS 1960

1970 1980 1985 1990 2000

(Forecast) (Forecast)

expected returns from the large
resources invested in agriculture. There
had to be basic changes, a profound
restructuring.

Proposals envisaging all this, the
speaker continued, are contained in the
draft party document submitted for the
consideration of the Congress. It
embraces the period ending in 2000. The
choice of a 15-year period was made, in
the first place, on account of the
increased magnitude and complexity of
the tasks confronting the country, tasks
that require more than one or two five-
year periods to be carried out.

New frontiers of efficiency

In the course of 15 years it is planned
to double the national income and
industrial output. As a result, the eco-
nomic potential that will be created will
approximately equal to what has been
accumulated throughout all the preced-
ing years of Soviet power. However, it
will be not just quantity that will change.
The task is to reach new frontiers of effi-
ciency in the economy and to increase
the pace of our advance. First, provision
is made for giving national income a
more dynamic character (its growth rate
is to rise from an annual average of
3.1 per cent in the past five-year period
to 5 per cent). Second, a more balanced
structure of production is to be formed.
Third and most important, is that higher
growth rates must be achieved on the
basis of all-sided and consistent
intensification.

Raising the productivity of social
labour is, in the long run, the prime
direction for solving socialism’s basic
problems. The decisive step in carrying
out the programme task bequeathed to
us by Lenin, namely, to reach the
highest world level, will be taken within
the next 15 years. The guidelines provide
for increasing labour productivity
throughout the entire economy 2.5-fold
by the year 2000, Ryzhkov went on.

An approach to meeting the econ-
omy’s need for material resources will
be fundamentally new. Whereas in
preceding years this need was covered
mainly by increasing production, the
task for the long term is that 75-80 per
cent of the growth in the demand in fuel,
energy, raw and other materials will be
met by economizing these materials.

A new retooling of the national econ-
omy on the basis of the achievements
of the scientific and technological
revolution is a task of truly historic
significance.

Such are the aims and main tasks for
the development of the economy and the
promotion of the people’s living stan-
dards that the party is setting for the
long term, the speaker stressed.

Ryzhkov also touched on th
lems of the 12th five-year plan P
(1986-1990) which will become :
mary and extremely important st
the practical implementation 9
party’s long-term economic Ss
During these years the national im
growth will increase 60 per cent.
result, in 1990, the national income?
reach 614 billion roubles and the vol™
of industrial output will rise
trillion roubles.

The guidelines envisage increasi
productivity of social labour 20-23
cent as against 16.5 per cent in the?
five-year period. Sixty to sixty-fi
cent of the growth of the demand!
and in raw and other materials
met through the economy. As a !@
in 1990 the saving of material oul
will double in the national econo
a whole.

In the coming five years it is enV
significantly to increase the abs0!
dimensions of the social consump!
funds that determines the Soviet P
ple’s standards of living. The SP!
said that the growth in the consump
funds during the 12th five-year p™
will amount to 74 billion roubles
pared with 55 billion roubles during
past five years.

Ministries oe

Touching on the questions of tlt
advancement of science and technol :
the speaker said that the USSR
always paid special attention to thet 4
Ina short span of time we have built!
a powerful scientific potential which
enabled us, at each stage, to carry
major economic and defence tasks ¥!
success. It is no secret, however,
although we possess noteworthy R
D results and advanced ideas we ®
lag behind in the development
progressive technologies, including eve
some that were born in our counltt :
This situation can only be explain¢ it
miscalculations made by ministries !
their technological policy, and, at ti™ i
by their unwillingness to look ’ ahead © :
tomorrow. : '

The Plenary meeting of the Ce?
Committee of the CPSU in April !
‘and the June 1985 Conference if
Central Committee of the CPSU for
fully posed the question of energetic’
eliminating the barriers standing 1
way of. scientific and technolo nh
progress, and of ensuring car din
revolutionary changes along all !
directions.

The broad development of advan
production methods is one of the ie
important lines of scientific and !
nological progress, the speaker went 0
to say..In the coming five yeals . ie
intend to expand the use of progres
technologies by 50 to 100 per cent

thd!

fie’

a ed ee

198

USSR National Income
(1940 = 1)

8 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 2, 1986