Russian government's main task is to boost incomes: Putin

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin, whose United Russia party is deeply unpopular ahead of September elections, said Wednesday that the government's main task was to boost Russians' falling personal incomes.

Putin's popularity has long been based on his ability to provide stability and better living standards to Russians, but the economy has in recent years been hit by Western sanctions, stagnant oil prices and now the coronavirus pandemic.

"The main thing is to ensure the growth of citizens' real incomes," Putin said in his annual state of the nation address, announcing a series of measures to put more money in Russians' pockets ahead of parliamentary elections later this year.

Putin said price rises were "eating away" at Russians' incomes and urged the government to create long-term conditions to "guarantee the predictability of prices".

He added that the government needed to do more to provide support for families.

He said the government would this year be making lump-sum payments to single-parent families and expectant mothers, as well as a 10,000 ruble ($130/110 euro) payment for all schoolchildren in mid-August.