UPDATE: Putin: Russia focuses on traditional values, social programs

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MOSCOW, Dec 1 (PRIME) -- The Russian government is focusing on support of traditional values and social programs, demographic growth, President Vladimir Putin said in an address to the Federal Assembly, which consists of two parliament houses, on Thursday.

“The point of our entire policy is to save people, to increase human capital as Russia’s main wealth. This is why our efforts are focused on support of traditional values and the family, on demographic programs, on improvement of the environment, human health, on development of education and culture,” Putin said.

Putin ordered the government to elaborate new legislation for non-profit organizations. “We are all interested in an active emergence of non-commercial organizations in the social sphere leading to improvement of its quality. And I am ordering the government together with the legislators to complete formation of a clear-cut legal framework for the activities of non-profit organizations.”

He warned against setting too many bureaucratic barriers for the activities of the organizations.

Putin ordered the government to define the legal status of self-employed people in 2017, directly stipulating that these activities must not be seen as illegal entrepreneurship. “We must not pick on them for fanciful reasons. In order for these reasons to not arise at all, I am asking you to define the legal status of self-employed people clearly next year to give them a chance to work normally, calmly.”

New information technologies will increase control over the market of life-saving medicines significantly to eliminate counterfeit and fake drugs and prevent price hikes during purchases for hospitals and health centers, Putin said.

The government must raise people’s possibilities to buy housing through a state mortgage program, he said separately.

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