Unpopular Arkhangelsk Governor
The economy in Arkhangelsk Oblast has deteriorated during Governor Ilya Mikhalchuk’s time in power, Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes. More than one third of the inhabitants in the region are dissatisfied with the work of the governor Ilya Mikhalchuk, a poll shows.
Ilya Mikhalchuk has held post as Governor of Arkhangelsk Oblast for only since March 2008, but has already become one of the least popular governors in Russia, Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes.
In a recent poll 35 percent said they are unpleased with Mikhalchuk’s work, while only 19 percent think he does a good job.
During Mikhailchuk’s time in office all main macroeconomic results have dropped: Investments, housing construction and income to the consolidated budget all dropped more than the Russian average. The number of unprofitable companies in Arkhangelsk Oblast is growing – from 38,6 in 2008 to 42,5 percent by October 2010 (the average for Russia is 30,1 percent).
The economic trend is affecting the social sphere in the region. While delays in payments of wages have gone down in Russian as a whole, in Arkhangelsk they have soared more than 47 times. People’s purchasing power is far below the Russian average.
According to a recent poll only 16 percent of the inhabitants in Arkhangelsk Oblast are pleased with the situation in the region, while as many as 73 percent answer that they are unpleased.
In March 2010 Prime Minister Vladimir Putin criticized Governor Mikhalchuk for the wage arrears in very direct words. Mikhalchuk was called in to the Prime Minister’s office to discuss the social and economic situation in the Arkhangelsk region, particularly the problems of wages owed to budget-dependent employees.
