The government approved the Concept of the State Targeted Program for the Support of the Socio-economic Development of Small Cities in 2011-2015, the Cabinet of Ministers reported.

The Cabinet’s press service says the program is aimed at creating organizational, legal and economic mechanisms to guarantee positive progress in the socio-economic development of small cities, the environmental and technogenic safety of their territories and improve the standard of living of the people.

The program also envisages improvement of the quality of administrative and public services rendered to residents by local administrations through the efficient use of resources and scientific production potential and reform of the market economy.

The concept also proposes ways of resolving problems of socio-economic development of small cities: formation of the necessary legislation, deciding on priority tasks to resolve the main infrastructural problems faced by small cities in order to improve their economic attractiveness and development and implementation of innovative mechanisms to ensure the development of territorial communities in small towns.

Implementation of the concept will foster the development of regions on the basis of a balancing of national, regional and local interests.