2nd Business Forum of SCO and BRICS regions discussed measures of small business state support in Ufa

UFA, 2 December 2016. /Bashinform News Agency, Olga Murtazina/. In Ufa at the 2nd Business Forum of SCO and BRICS the effectiveness of the state support measures for small business was discussed. The "Financial and Infrastructure Support as a Basis for Development" expert panel was dedicated to this issue. It considered forms of assistance and best regional practices established in the last 15 years. As briefed the meeting participants, the state support did not give a satisfactory effect, and the best tool for developing business was affordable and cheap loans.

"All tools that are used in the developed countries operate in Russia too. However, their application does not give us a breakthrough, as it is there”, commented on the Deputy Director of the SMEs Development Department of the Ministry of Economic Development RF Olesya Teterina. “We do not have a favourable business environment. Businessmen themselves say that they do not need free money, although it is a good help in the crisis years, but they do need such environment where it is safe to start-up a business".

"There is a proper motion that I would like to speed up: no subsidies, but simply affordable, long-term, cheap enough money”, said the General Director of JSC “Company Permanente K & M” and the chairman of the engineering department of "Business Russia" Natalia Kirillova. “Now it is a good time to support manufacturing companies: a weak ruble, export quotas for small and medium-sized companies. Multifunctional centres established by the Ministry of Economic Development are really a great tool, which will help businessman to make development plans but it will not be feasible without funds. In addition, not all entrepreneurs live in capitals. Some have to travel to the regional centres for 500-700 kilometers. For example, Kazakhstan colleagues shared their experience of mobile offices operation".

According to the Register of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, now in Russia there are about 2.6 million SMEs. Of these, 203 thousand are industrial companies.