A forecast made by Ministry of Economic Development a while back, which claimed the average monthly wage in Russia would reach $2,700, will not come true even by 2035, experts said.
The Concept for the Long-Term Social and Economic Development of the Russian Federation Until 2020, published by the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper in 2008, said that the middle class would amount to over 50% of the population and a three-member family would have an apartment of at least 100 sq.m., while Russia would enhance its superpower status.
This all should have been implemented through ‘introducing innovations.’ Interestingly, a breakthrough was forecast for 2013-2017, with supposed consolidation of progress starting in 2018. As we know now, the economy plunged into crisis from 2013 through 2017 due to a fall in oil prices. As the result, this year’s monthly salary in Russia stands at RUR 44,000 ($688) as opposed to the forecast amount of RUR 174,000, according to official data – and even this reported figure raises doubts among experts.
“Of course, this scenario seems impossible and unrealistic if we expect it to happen within the next 10-15 years,” Pavel Sigal, Vice President of the OPORA Russia non-governmental organization of small and medium-sized businesses, says. “The decision to become a power with innovation-based economy seems right and appealing. However, the country is not ready now for such fundamental changes. Of course, the core issue here is financial investments in this program. The absence of net debt allows attracting considerable finances, but they will not cover all expenses required. This applies to infrastructure, industrial upgrade, and professional training. A ‘quantum leap’ in healthcare and education can take place only with financing increased manifold, even dozen-fold. But if Russia takes this path as soon as possible and our government succeeds in taking first steps in this direction, the country will definitively become a great innovation-based economy.”