Kremlin s Policy Defended

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30961, 18 January 1966, Page 8

Kremlin s Policy Defended

(N.Z.P A -Reuter —Copyright) MOSCOW, Jan. 16. Western and Chinese assertions that recent Soviet economic reforms meant a return to capitalism have been angrily rejected by “Pravda,” the Communist Party newspaper. In an editorial in defence of the Kremlin’s new economic policies, “Pravda” argued that “Socialist profit” always benefited the people. The reforms, introducing profit as the main criterion of the success of an enterprise and giving a wide sphere of freedom to factory managers, were laid down at last September’s meeting of the Communist Party. But the plan, believed inspired largely by the Prime Minister, Mr Kosygin, is only gradually being applied to industry and will take several years to implement fully. Workers’ Support “Pravda” said that Soviet workers fully supported the party’s policies, and "reject with disgust the assertions of bourgeois ideologists” that they indicated a return to capitalism. The Russian people were surprised to find the Chinese leaders saying the same thing, it added. They could only see the Chinese attacks as provocative falsifications.

Economic reforms in the Soviet Union, the article went on, were “entirely directed towards the creation of the most favourable conditions for the

successful solution of the I basic economic problems of the building of communism.” Needs of People The Socialist principle of effective management “has nothing to do with the capi-

talist principle of private profit and personal enrichment.” T’.e main aim of Socialist production was to satisfy the needs of the people, and all Socialist planning was directed towards this.