RUSSIA, December 22 - Mikhail Mishustin: “It is very important for the Government to receive feedback from people and businesses, as well as from those who also worked in the Government. This is necessary for making balanced and effective decisions that consider all aspects of what may sometimes be a complicated issue. ”

Excerpts from the transcript:

Mikhail Mishustin: Good afternoon, my dear friends.

Today, we will hold the first meeting of the Expert Council in its new format. The Council has become more compact and collaboration-oriented. I suggest discussing today the details and approaches to its activities going forward.

It is very important for the Government to receive feedback from people and businesses, as well as from those who also worked in the Government. I would like to welcome my former colleagues here. The President often talks about feedback and how we need take it in, assess it and never forget it. This is necessary for making balanced and effective decisions that consider all aspects of what may sometimes be a complicated issue.

We established the Coordination Centre specially to gather objective information on the problems that worry our people. Many of you visited it. It was built using cutting-edge technology. It processes feedback in real time and conducts a host of sociological polls. We are learning – I believe we have already learned – to assess the contribution made by our companies, state and development institutions, national projects, government programmes and our efforts to achieving the national goals set by the President. This assessment is a very important element that we should use to engage with our expert community. It must be transparent and understandable for us.

More to be posted soon...