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- Momentum for development: small and medium-sized businesses will have easier working conditions
Momentum for development: small and medium-sized businesses will have easier working conditions
Following the results of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed to develop measures to simplify business operations for small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises by October 1. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has been appointed responsible. The government's press service confirmed to Izvestia its readiness to submit the relevant document on time. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
What needs to be changed to achieve the goals
Vladimir Putin instructed to think about simplifying conditions for small and medium-sized businesses engaged in the production of goods. This task was set based on the results of the SPIEF. The President's instructions do not refer to targeted easing, but to a systematic reduction of administrative and fiscal pressure on the real sector. The production cycle is objectively longer and more capital-intensive than in trade or services, so the current regulatory framework often works to the detriment of entrepreneurs. The documents being developed by the government will have to take into account these specifics.
Today, the key barrier remains the fragmentation of support measures and the complexity of the transition between organizational and legal forms. Businesses need transparent digital tools that will allow them to scale legally without fear of instant loss of their SME status. This will save companies from the need to artificially split up assets in order to preserve the right to preferential treatment.
Business Russia, Opora Russia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs point out that it is necessary to shift the focus from the formal OKVED codes to the actual availability of equipment, personnel and value creation. This approach will make it possible to identify real production workers and target resources to modernize their capacities. It is important that the criteria for access to support are based on real economic activity.
The RSPP survey (available to Izvestia), which involved both large companies and SMEs, revealed the similarity of the basic list of business problems, although their relevance differs for different segments. Thus, small businesses are more concerned about rising taxes, higher prices for manufacturers' products and increased non-payments from counterparties. Because of this, representatives of SMEs give more pessimistic assessments, including regarding the dynamics of the business climate, the prospects for the development of their own companies and the level of investment activity.
At the same time, there is a positive trend towards expanding cooperation between large businesses and SMEs, not only in traditional areas of work and services, but also in the procurement of technologies, developments, equipment, components and software. Thus, a third of large companies noted an increase in software purchases, and about a quarter — an increase in technology and equipment purchases.
The main reasons for this partnership were the promptness of cooperation and flexibility of SMEs, including the willingness to produce small batches and take into account individual customer requirements. Large companies support small businesses through specialized portals, training seminars, corporate procurement commitments, digital tools for checking contractors and hiring staff, sharing experiences and providing access to infrastructure. At the same time, the share of companies providing such support has decreased slightly compared to previous surveys.
How changes should affect the life of SMEs
Entrepreneurs expect that reducing bureaucratic pressure will free up critical resources that are currently spent on reporting services, various labeling, and interaction with federal information systems. Optimization of non-tax payments, such as tariffs of the Platon system or technological fees, will directly increase the profitability of enterprises.
The statistics of the Federal Tax Service, which updated the register of SMEs in July to 6.6 million instead of the expected 7 million, clearly demonstrates the problem of fragmentation and optimization for the sake of survival. Simplifying the rules of the game will bring businesses back from the shadows, allowing companies to legally invest in new production lines and hire qualified personnel.
Andrey Shubin, Executive Director of Opora Russia, is convinced that the task of stimulating production requires creating conditions for the price competitiveness of domestic products. In his opinion, it is necessary to extend the regimes of industrial parks to the entire territory of the country and develop preferential leasing programs for machine tools.
Why is the focus on commodity SMEs now?
The focus on commodity producers is dictated by the strategic need to ensure technological sovereignty and replace the departed foreign brands. Large corporations do not always have sufficient market mobility, while small businesses are able to flexibly build production chains.
Elena Dybova, Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, draws attention to the fact that in 2025, small and medium-sized enterprises paid 13.2 trillion rubles in taxes. This amount exceeds the total contributions of the entire oil and gas sector, which confirms the status of SMEs as the backbone of the economy, forming a fifth of GDP.
The support of such enterprises ensures the closure of regional needs in both the B2B and B2C segments, creating a base for the localization of complex engineering and defense industries. In fact, we are talking about the formation of a sustainable ecosystem capable of generating innovation and ensuring import substitution on the ground.
Dmitry Morkovkin, Associate Professor of the Department of Taxes and Tax Administration at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, believes that it is advisable to focus the key focus of support for manufacturing SMEs on reducing the administrative burden and simplifying financial mechanisms.
This may include the development of digital tools for flexible transition between organizational and legal forms and tax systems, making it easier for businesses to change their status without unnecessary barriers. It is important to expand access to debt financing for the manufacturing sector, including through the "project finance factory," the expert believes. Loans under such support can be provided at reduced rates of up to 10%.
According to Morkovkin, it is necessary to upgrade and maintain existing tax benefits. For example, it is necessary to simplify the conditions for obtaining a reduced insurance premium rate (7.6%) for manufacturing industries — to make the rules clearer and less stringent.
We also need help finding production facilities and connecting them to utility networks.: This directly affects the speed of launching new capacities.
Finally, excessive reporting and verification requirements should be reduced, as they often slow down the start—up and operation of production facilities, Morkovkin believes.
What benefits do manufacturing SMEs really need?
Business Russia, Opora Russia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs noted that the basic requirement of a business is to maintain the revenue threshold for VAT exemption at 20 million rubles, exceeding which today kills promising startups. It is also necessary to expand the range of income tax benefits and fix a reduced insurance premium rate of 7.6% for a wider range of manufacturing industries. These steps will ensure the preservation of working capital in the early stages of development.
Financial support should be transformed from short-term loans into "long-term" money with a real interest rate not exceeding 10%, including on the basis of a project finance factory. Yuri Shilov, a member of the General Council of Delovaya Rossiya, believes that leasing programs must cover not only a separate machine, but also a full-fledged production line with installation and start-up. Access to such resources will become a driver for the renewal of fixed assets.
Additionally, normalization of the situation with environmental fines, which sometimes exceed the cost of the microbusiness itself, and the introduction of a tariff freeze regime for natural monopolies are required. These measures together will stop the outflow of working capital and allow entrepreneurs to plan the purchase of raw materials and the payment of competitive salaries. Without solving these problems, any investment injections will be offset by rising costs.
The downside is simplification and market stability
The specifics of the manufacturing business initially exclude the logic of one-day firms, as it requires serious investments in equipment, space and staff training. The rapid closure of such an enterprise inevitably leads to enormous financial losses, which serves as a natural deterrent for inefficient players.
Vladimir Eremkin, Senior researcher at the IPEI RANEPA, notes that the risk of unstable companies will be offset by increased tax control and transparency of transactions. Simplification of conditions will attract bona fide participants to the market who are ready to conduct long-term activities.
According to his forecast, the growth in the number of sustainable manufacturing SMEs will inevitably increase competition, diversify the supply and provide predictable stability to the market. This will create an additional source of revenue for the budget and reduce the threat of monopolization of industries by large players. Both regional economies and end-users will benefit.
What will happen to the prices of goods
Delovaya Rossiya, Opora Rossiya and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry explain that it is not worth expecting a sharp decline in prices yet, since the cost of production is influenced by many macroeconomic factors, including logistics, exchange rates and the cost of energy resources. The margin of small manufacturers remains small, so the released funds will be used for reinvestment and capacity renewal. Inflationary pressure from costs remains for now.
The main effect of the implementation of the president's instructions will be to stabilize the assortment, improve the quality and ensure the availability of goods on the shelves. Reducing the cost of bureaucracy will allow companies to stop putting regulatory risks in the final price of a product, which will stop the inflationary flywheel. The consumer will receive predictable quality at a reasonable price.
In some highly competitive niches, a moderate price reduction is likely, but the main breakthrough lies in achieving technological leadership and independence from external supplies. This is what will ensure the long-term sustainability of the Russian economy and its adaptation to global challenges. The market will be saturated with high-quality domestic goods.
Izvestia sent inquiries to the press services of the ASI, the CSR, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development. No responses had been received at the time of publication.
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