MOSCOW, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The most important thing for Russia now is to ensure strict adherence to planned budget, said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev when meeting some government officials.

    "In other words, we need to guarantee timely financing in accordance with the plan for all budget items," said the president at a Friday meeting on economic issues, as quoted by the Kremlin website.

    It is equally important to place state procurement orders and supervise state contracts' implementation, he added.

    Affected by bureaucracy, some state procurement contracts often took much longer to fulfill than they were originally planned over the past year, Medvedev noted, reminding officials to learn from the past experience.

    The entire budget system must be stable, sustainable and balanced, he said.

    "It (referring to the federal budget) should be a real economic policy tool that has a real influence on the economic processes underway in our country, including the economic modernization efforts that we see as a key part of our national development over the coming years," he said.

    Additionally, Medvedev eyed a more optimistic social and economic outlook for Russia this year citing latest statistics, with the estimated growth of gross domestic product raised from 1.6 percent to 3.1 percent.

    The Russian economy, heavily depending on the exportation of energy and raw materials, has been hit hard by the global economic downturn. Russian leaders have repeatedly emphasized the need to modernize the economy.