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- On equal terms: A new five-year competition development plan has been developed in Russia
On equal terms: A new five-year competition development plan has been developed in Russia
The FAS of Russia has developed a new five-year competition development plan. This was stated by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. The main tasks include removing barriers to business, improving the efficiency of state property management, developing financial markets, as well as innovative and high—tech industries. The plan reflects the government's desire to make the economy more open and sustainable. The proposed measures are aimed not at administrative redistribution of resources, but at creating equal conditions for business, experts say. How competition will be supported in Russia is in the Izvestia article.
The new five-year plan
Russia has developed a new five-year competition development plan. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak spoke about it at a meeting of deputy prime ministers with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The new plan has been prepared taking into account the changing socio-economic conditions and the digital transformation of the economy. The key goal is to create an effective system of competition development at all levels of government.
The main tasks include removing barriers to business, improving the efficiency of state property management, developing financial markets, innovative and high-tech industries.
The plan provides for measures to develop antimonopoly legislation. Among them are the annual identification and suppression of cartels, the development of regional competition roadmaps for the new five—year plan, as well as the expansion of cooperation with the antimonopoly authorities of the BRICS countries and the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
In addition, the authorities plan to ensure antimonopoly regulation of digital platforms to prevent abuse by monopolists. At the same time, the appeal procedure is planned to be digitized by 100%, which will simplify the complaint mechanism for the applicant as much as possible.
At the same time, the satisfaction of participants in the commodity markets should grow by 12% by 2030.
The implementation of the plan, as Novak emphasizes, will ensure the further development of competition, which will contribute to sustainable economic growth, achieve a fair price balance, and improve the quality of products and services.
"The development of competition is one of the key factors for sustainable economic growth and technological development of the country. Fair competition drives cost reduction, productivity growth, and innovation. And this, in turn, strengthens Russia's position in the global market, makes our economy more sustainable, and provides citizens with a wide range of high—quality goods and services at affordable prices," said Alexander Novak.
A healthy economy
The draft National Plan (Roadmap) for the Development of Competition in the Russian Federation for 2026-2030 has been developed by the Federal Antimonopoly Service.
"The adoption of the document will ensure the further development of competition, which will contribute to the formation of a healthy economy, achieve a fair price balance and improve the quality of products and services due to the competitiveness of market participants," the agency's press service told Izvestia.
The activities of the five-year plan include measures to identify and suppress cartels, the service recalled. We are talking about the creation of a state information system for the prevention, detection and suppression of agreements restricting competition (GIS "Antikartel").
It is expected that the system will allow for comprehensive data research and daily analysis of 100% of procurement procedures, as well as prompt information retrieval, reducing the number of requests sent.
Conditions for growth
The five-year competition development plan developed by the authorities reflects the state's desire to make the economy more open and sustainable, said Andrei Glushkin, a member of the council of the MRO Delovaya Rossiya. The proposed measures are aimed not at administrative redistribution of resources, but at creating equal conditions for business, says Alexei Govyrin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
"The removal of barriers for entrepreneurs, the digitalization of appeal procedures and the development of high—tech industries create a more open environment where companies of different sizes can compete through quality, innovation and management solutions," the parliamentarian is convinced. This approach, in his opinion, will help maintain healthy market competition by stimulating productivity growth.
The new five-year plan reflects a broader approach to the country's economic development through the formation of a modern business culture, said Anastasia Gorelkina, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Siberian Business Union.
"The focus is shifting from formal rules to real conditions in which entrepreneurs can grow and new projects can receive support," she clarifies.
The measures proposed at the meeting, however, should not be considered separately from the current economic situation in the country, but in relation to the circumstances under which companies will participate in the competition, emphasizes Pavel Semenov, adviser to the president of the Moscow Association of Entrepreneurs. Much will depend on companies' access to financing, the Central Bank's actions to reduce the key rate, issues of national treatment and import substitution.
Today, it is difficult for small and medium-sized businesses due to the high rate, complicated logistics and other circumstances, lists Irina Mironova, Director of Federal Development Projects at the Skolkovo School of Management.
— A competitive market for talented producers is a fertile field. It will allow companies to break ahead by integrating into global production chains due to product quality or price advantages. Competition helps to shake up the big players, forcing them to introduce promising ideas and management practices," the Izvestia interlocutor believes.
A reliable arbiter
Andrey Glushkin is convinced that government interference in the development of competition is not an attempt to "manage the market", but a desire to make it more fair. The state has taken the side of the arbitrator and provides more opportunities for the development of entrepreneurial potential in order to develop import substitution and the economy as a whole, Irina Mironova points out.
— The authorities ensure that all players have equal conditions and no participant can abuse their position. This is especially important in strategic and socially significant industries, where fair competition directly affects prices, quality of services and technology development," explains Glushkin.
Government intervention in the field of competition is necessary, because without control it is impossible to exclude monopoly pressure, artificial price gouging and barriers to market entry, lists Alexey Govyrin.
— Russian legislation enshrines this right.: Antimonopoly authorities ensure that freedom of entrepreneurship is combined with responsibility for unfair behavior," the deputy notes.
At the same time, the state is no longer perceived as a supervisory authority, increasingly acting as a partner, Anastasia Gorelkina clarifies.
— When a business feels that its ideas are in demand and protected by law, new companies appear, employment grows, and the tax base expands. This model is beneficial to everyone: entrepreneurs, the state and citizens," the Izvestia interlocutor emphasizes.
Pavel Semenov considers the following measures on the part of the state that contribute to the maximum equalization of working conditions for companies:
— Market liberalization (reducing barriers to entry for new entrants);
— access to infrastructure (ensuring equal conditions for all market participants);
— transparency and information openness (publication of data on prices, tariffs and working conditions of companies);
— support for small and medium-sized businesses (creating conditions for their development and competition with large corporations, as well as mandatory cooperation between SMEs and large businesses).
In other words, basic mechanisms for supporting the competitive environment have already been formed in Russia today, but there are issues that need to be improved, Glushkin points out. In particular, it is necessary to increase attention to the regional level, where entrepreneurs are more likely to face restrictions. The development of competition at the regional level is especially important, because it is in the regions of the federation that an environment is being formed where small and medium-sized companies operate, jobs are being created and local brands are emerging, Gorelkina recalls.
"Creating conditions for small and medium—sized businesses, developing digital platforms and increasing the openness of state-owned companies can give competition an additional boost," Glushkin believes.
Investing in the future
Today, the Federal Antimonopoly Service is consistently working to reduce administrative barriers, increase transparency in public procurement and prevent unfair agreements, Andrei Glushkin points out. One of the key tasks in this area is the fight against cartels.
— It is carried out through criminal and administrative liability, a system of "leniency" for companies that voluntarily disclose collusion, as well as international cooperation within the framework of BRICS and SCO. Together, these measures strengthen the confidence of market participants and make it possible to form a stable, competitive economy," believes Alexey Govyrin.
For a successful fight, it is important not only to tighten liability measures, but also to develop preventive mechanisms: to encourage voluntary disclosure of violations, to form a culture of honest entrepreneurship, to conduct training and consultations for businesses, Glushkin lists.
The process should not be reduced to a struggle at any cost, confirms Anastasia Gorelkina. The fight against cartels and unfair practices should go not only through sanctions, but also through increased transparency and self-regulation of industries. When companies are interested in a healthy market, entrepreneurs themselves become the best defenders of fair competition, she is convinced.
And the development of competition is the way to increase product quality, innovation and economic stability, Glushkin believes.
— The new plan gives a chance to make the interaction between the state and business more trusting, and the rules are clear and uniform for everyone. In this case, entrepreneurs, consumers, and the entire economy of the country benefit," the expert notes.
In the future, the proposed measures may become the basis for updating the economic model, where efficiency and innovation are valued rather than proximity to resources, Anastasia Gorelkina admits.
— Supporting competition is an investment in the future. To the development of the regions, to the growth of the number of enterprising entrepreneurs, to the increase of trust within the business community. The more such examples there are, the stronger and more stable the country's economy will be," the Izvestia interlocutor sums up.
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