RUSSIA, Russia, March 10 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has shaken up his social welfare system, bringing in new people to run it, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported Wednesday.
The social welfare ministries and agencies of the Russian federal government were "fully transformed" and they have "undergone the most radical reorganization" in the far reaching shake-ups and government reforms Putin announced Tuesday, ITAR-TASS said.
"New persons will be in charge of education, health care, labor relations and social welfare development," it said. The news agency quoted sources in the Russian government.
The shake-up reflects Putin's frustration at Russia's continuing disastrously high death rates, low birth rates and poor standards of living, despite excellent macro-economic progress during his first term, Russian pundits say.
Putin moved special welfare functions to Economic and Trade Minister German Gref and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, ITAR-TASS said. Both men impressed Putin by their records over the past few years.
