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- Profitable place: small and medium-sized businesses have received more than 1 trillion rubles due to state support
Profitable place: small and medium-sized businesses have received more than 1 trillion rubles due to state support
Small and medium-sized businesses in 2024 attracted a record 1.18 trillion rubles thanks to the financial support of participants in the National Guarantee System (NGS), operated by the SME Corporation, the press service of the structure reported. The increase by 2023 was 8%. The number of recipients of support has also become a record (71% more). Izvestia investigated what prospects SMEs have this year and what other support measures businesses need.
Forecasts for the year
In 2025, the SME Corporation will continue to implement preferential programs for small and medium-sized businesses, Alexander Isaevich, the organization's CEO, told Izvestia. At the same time, if in previous years the task was to increase the coverage of support recipients, then from 2025 the focus shifted to targeted support for SMEs in priority sectors that form the supply economy.
"A new joint program is being launched with the Ministry of Industry and Trade for machine tool and robotics enterprises, and a program with the Ministry of Economic Development for residents of SEZs and entrepreneurs of single—industry towns," he said. — Plus, it is planned to restart a program to stimulate lending from the Bank of Russia and the SME Corporation with subsidies from the Ministry of Economic Development to support investment projects in tourism, manufacturing, logistics, IT, and scientific and technical activities.
In 2025, the program of preferential lending to businesses in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions will continue at a rate not higher than the key one, he noted. A new limit on preferential lending programs for high-tech companies, as well as preferential leasing programs, will also be launched.
— We continue to develop the mechanism of "umbrella" guarantees of the SME Corporation. Special limits have already been allocated for the border and new regions, Crimea and Sevastopol. They enable entrepreneurs to get a loan from a bank if there is no or not enough collateral. It is important that 91% of disbursements are to small and microbusiness, which are the most difficult to attract financing. Every third entrepreneur would not be able to get a loan without guarantees," emphasized Alexander Isaevich.
Moreover, according to him, the recipients of "umbrella" guarantees have a higher rate of development: a five-fold increase in the number of employees, a 2.2-fold increase in income, and a two-fold increase in taxes.
A difficult period
The tightening of monetary policy has had a significant impact on the availability of loans to businesses, especially in the segment of small and medium-sized enterprises, which are most sensitive to changes in interest rates, Maria Ignatova, HeadHunter's research director, noted in an interview with Izvestia. As a result, during 2024, many companies were forced to reduce investments and freeze expansion plans, which led to a decrease in business activity. Against this background, the growth rate of demand for staff from SMEs in 2024 slowed down compared to 2023.
It is expected that 2025 will be quite difficult for SMEs, Oleg Reshetnikov, an expert on the stock market at BCS World of Investments, told Izvestia. A high key rate affects business scaling.
— As a result, 51% of enterprises refuse to expand their investment programs. A year earlier, such enterprises accounted for 42%. It will be most difficult to conduct business in "non—priority" industries, he explained. — Nevertheless, support measures will have a certain positive effect, but it should be understood that over time, rates will decrease, and business activity will return to normal values, which will make life easier for SMEs.
Additional formats
Business needs comprehensive support measures, Valery Tumin, a member of the expert council on the development of the digital economy under the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, said in an interview with Izvestia.
"In addition to financial instruments, it is important to develop infrastructure, reduce the administrative burden and simplify access to public procurement," he said. — Educational support also plays a significant role: entrepreneur training programs, mentoring, and consulting centers. Additional incentives, such as tax incentives, grant support and the development of export opportunities, will allow small businesses to become even more actively involved in the economic process.
According to him, the state consistently creates conditions for the growth and development of entrepreneurship, and the results of 2024 show that these measures are working. In 2025, it is expected to further strengthen the position of SMEs, increase financing and expand business opportunities in a wide variety of industries.
At a time when classic loans are becoming much more expensive, guarantees and guarantees from the NHS are becoming particularly relevant for the SME segment, Stanislav Filichkin, head of credit products for small and medium-sized businesses at Compari, told Izvestia. These tools can significantly reduce the financial burden on a business and ensure its sustainable development.
— According to forecasts, we can expect a certain "warming" in the lending market this year. There is a high probability that the key interest rate will gradually decrease, which, in turn, will affect the cost of loans for small and medium-sized enterprises. This will create additional opportunities for entrepreneurs to find financing," he said.
Thus, in his opinion, the main need of any business remains to obtain the necessary financing at the right time to ensure its growth and development. It is important that entrepreneurs have access to financial resources that will help them overcome existing challenges and move forward.
In addition, a single hub under state control is required with an assessment of the risks and quality of the contracts, Vladimir Prokhorov, a member of the General Council of Delovaya Rossiya, told Izvestia.
"Benefits for supplies from abroad of critical elements that currently cannot fully meet business demand due to a shortage of domestic capacities will not hurt," he added.
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