We can no longer be satisfied with some gross indicators of the volume of production of this or that product, all these tons, kilometres, cubic meters and the number of livestock. We must all the time look at how the achieved indicators are reflected in the quality of life of people, which is determined by many parameters, including the state of the environmental situation, the increase or decrease in the birth rate, the level of morbidity, life expectancy, and so on. This is what we mean by well-being today. This is what should become the main criterion for evaluating our results, successes and achievements in all deeds and undertakings.
And here the question of quality and standard of living comes to the fore. This should be the goal of any business: to give a person what he wants.
In everyday speech we talk about fashionable clothes and fashionable style. We will say this: we need to do everything to make living in Russia fashionable and prestigious. Some sceptics will doubt our goal and they will remind that we have not yet resolved all the issues of water supply, gasification, construction of social housing, infrastructure of housing and communal services, and the like.
There is the concept of quality. We define by it whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. Whether we like it or not. Does this thing suit us, do we want to get it, and will we use it? The same goes for life itself. That's right, life also has a definition of quality: whether we live it decently or badly.
We are talking about the general line of our development. We either are concerned only with providing everyone with minimum, or we take social standards as a basis and strive to give all what meets their requirements and meets the highest world standards.
Material production and the spiritual sphere, culture and economy should be aimed at fulfilment of this goal. Every resident of Russia has the right to a good life enshrined in the country's Constitution. And we must fully ensure this right for our citizens. This is what our President wants, and this is the strategic task that we have to solve.
September 2001