Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed on Friday the final version of the government's anti-crisis program, local media reported.

"The plan has been signed in its final version today. It is essentially a set of specific steps that we must take together in the second half of 2009," Putin told a session of the commission on regional development.

The program, which was released on the government's website, listed seven priorities in dealing with the economic downturn.

The government will support citizens and families that were the hardest hit by the global economic crisis, and the economy should rely on a powerful national financial system, the plan says.

The government and the Central Bank will conduct responsible macro-economic policy aimed at maintaining macro-economic stability and at creating incentives for the growth of the public's savings, a stronger investment appeal of the economy, and formation of an entirely new model of economic growth, it says.

Russia's economy, heavily dependent on exports of energy and raw materials, has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. In an anti-crisis plan released in early April, the government pledged to fulfill its social obligations, expand domestic demand to ensure sustainable economic development, establish a strong financial system at home and pursue responsible macro-economic policies.

Source: Xinhua