Within the framework of the meeting of the government of the Murmansk region, the issue of the main parameters of the economic development of the region in 2022 was considered. By the new year, the region came up with significant results of socio-economic development, but at the same time, like the whole country, it faced a number of unprecedented challenges related to sanctions from unfriendly countries.
In six key sectors of the economy (processing, fishing, mining, transportation and storage, construction, energy), 51 backbone enterprises operate, employing 45% of employees (116.9 thousand people) of the total number of employees on the list in the region. The contribution of these enterprises to the gross regional product is 67%, and in the volume of tax revenues to the consolidated budget of the region – almost 70%.
In the difficult conditions of transformation, the government of the region, together with the federal authorities, adopted a number of decisions aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the economy. During the period of implementation of anti-crisis measures, almost 600 business entities were supported. The total amount of anti-crisis support provided amounted to about 3.1 billion rubles.
As Deputy Governor Olga Kuznetsova noted, an extensive set of measures aimed at maintaining stability and supporting development projects has certainly yielded results. All key production facilities are operating normally. Stability in the labor market of the region has also been ensured.
"Thus, this year, taking into account the difficult external conditions, we estimate the economy for 2022 at the level of 2021 – this is a conservative estimate, but it primarily speaks of maintaining the stability of all production processes in the region," the Vice-governor stressed.
Olga Kuznetsova also reported on the results of the implementation of investment projects, the parameters of the shipment of production, the number of employees, average wages and tax revenues in key sectors of the economy. The most significant industry in terms of contribution to the economy of the region is the manufacturing industry, its contribution to the shipment of industrial production is 77.0%, the industrial production index for 10 months of 2022 was 102.0%, the positive dynamics in processing is due to the growth of metallurgical production by 1.5 times. Tax revenues to the consolidated budget of the region for this industry exceeded 30%, the growth of the average nominal salary was 115.5%.
The mining complex accounts for almost 17% in the shipment of industrial production, more than 19% in tax revenues to the consolidated budget of the region, the growth of the average number of 104.6%, the average nominal salary – 127.4%, investments increased by 1.7%. This year, the crushing and processing plant of JSC "Olkon" has accepted for processing the first batch of iron ore from the new Pechegubsky deposit.
In the energy sector, the production index was 101.1%. Electricity generation increased by 11.9%, electricity consumption by 1%. The share in the shipment is 5.1%, in tax revenues – 3.1%. PJSC "EL5–Energo" has received permission to put the Kola wind power plant into commercial operation.
The transport industry shows an increase in cargo processing to 47.9 million tons of cargo, or 3%. The share of tax revenues is 6.7%.
Also, the economic achievements of 2022 include the beginning of the creation of a mineral fertilizer terminal with Belaruskali OJSC, the development of the concept of a cluster-type ship repair enterprise in the Murmansk Region, as well as the first tested delivery of live and freshly frozen crab from Murmansk to the Far East along the Northern Sea Route.
Olga Kuznetsova said that the key economic decisions taken at the federal level will contribute to the realization of the unique economic potential of the Murmansk Region and investment projects in the manufacturing industry, including the creation of new energy-intensive industries, in the transport complex with localization on the Western Shore of the Kola Bay. Thus, on behalf of President Vladimir Putin, the Government of the Russian Federation decided to accelerate the implementation of the project "Integrated development of the Murmansk transport hub". Gazprom PJSC has started designing the Volkhov–Murmansk main gas pipeline. The State Unitary Enterprise "Murmanskvodokanal" has started the reconstruction of the water supply system of the western shore of the Kola Bay. Federal funding has been allocated to create an electricity supply system for the Western Shore of the Kola Bay.
All these decisions will also contribute to the disclosure of the investment reserve created in the region. In 2022, investments will amount to about 275 billion rubles and then 300 billion rubles annually. This will be provided within the investment portfolio of the region, which includes 265 projects with investments of about 1.1 trillion rubles and the creation of more than 40,000 jobs.
/Ministry of Arctic Development and Economy of the Murmansk Region/