Penza, 10 January 2018. PenzaNews. Analysts of the foundation "Peterburgskaya politika" included the initiation of the criminal case against Valery Savin, former vice-governor of the Penza region, who was suspected of fraud, in the list of the most significant events of the regional politics that happened in December 2017.

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The start of the presidential election campaign was named the most important event.

Other events that entered top 30 included the appointment of new plenipotentiary representatives of the head of state in the Northwestern and Central Federal Districts, the change of the Voronezh region governor, the arrest of Oleg Sorokin, vice speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod region, and the start of the trial on the Gaizer's case in the Zamoskvoretsky court of Moscow.

The case against Valery Savin was also ranked among the factors that negatively influenced the rating of social and political stability of the Penza region.

In addition, they include the criticism of head of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation Anton Siluanov on the quality of management of public finances in the region. Giving a speech at a meeting of the council of legislators in the State Duma of Russia, he said that a number of regions of the Russian Federation asking for assistance from the federal centre concealed from the office their budgetary problems in previous years. Speaking about the regions, where the hidden accounts payable are increasing, the minister also mentioned the Penza region.

Other factors that negatively influenced the region's position were accidents at Penza heating system, the rally of deceived construction investors and the 68th place in the rating of the level of wages, according to which one fifth of Penza working population earns less than 10,000 roubles.

Positive events include signing of the agreement on cooperation with the Industrial Development Fund, negotiations with the company Kronoshpan about construction of a wood chipboard production plant and the inclusion of the Penza region in the group 3A1 (reduced potential – minimal risk) in the rating of investment climate of the RAEX agency.

In addition, the fact that the Industrial Development Fund approved of the first loan to the plant Elektromehizmerenie equalling 5 million roubles had a positive result.

Thus, the rating of the Penza region equalled 7.7 points, which is 0.1 less than the previous month's index. The result allowed the region to enter the second group of the subjects of the Russian Federation – the one with high stability – and to occupy the second place from the end – the 13th.

The all-Russian rating was headed by the Chukotka Autonomous District. It is the leader of the first group of regions – the one with maximum stability – with the indicator of 8.4 points.