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- Unlimited for everything: The Ministry of Finance has changed the procedure for issuing IT mortgages
Unlimited for everything: The Ministry of Finance has changed the procedure for issuing IT mortgages
The IT industry remains one of the main drivers of the Russian economy. The authorities continue to support specialists working in this field. The next step in this direction was the abolition of limits on preferential IT mortgages. This solution will also be beneficial for banks — credit institutions will not have to stop a popular line of business and lose potential customers, experts say. How the lifting of limits will affect the field of information technology is described in the Izvestia article.
Making the task easier
The authorities are lifting the limits set for preferential IT mortgages. This decision was made by the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation in coordination with the government.
Previously, due to the high demand for the program, there were situations when it had to be forcibly suspended due to the exhaustion of the limit by banks, the ministry's press service told Izvestia. In order to resume the program in these cases, it was necessary for the Government to set a new limit.
For 2025, it was set at 825 billion rubles. The decision to cancel, as expected in the department, will allow to support a larger number of IT specialists.
At the same time, the financial burden on borrowers should decrease due to the reduction of additional payments on bank fees. The level of subsidies for banks for this purpose will be additionally increased by 1.5%.
"Currently, the level of reimbursement to banks for preferential mortgage loans issued from May 1 to October 31 for the purchase of housing in apartment buildings and for individual housing construction will be 3% and 3.5%, respectively," the department explained. The requirements for borrowers will remain the same.
The preferential mortgage program for information technology professionals was launched in 2022. During its operation, banks have issued more than 83.3 thousand such loans. By the end of the year, the ministry expects their number to increase to 91.5 thousand.
Exceeding initial expectations
In 2024, the digital sector showed steady growth, with the information and communication technology market growing by almost a third. And the IT segment itself increased by almost one and a half times, which made it one of the key drivers of the Russian economy, recalls Miroslav Radkevich, coordinator for interaction with sellers of the Federal Network Trading Society.
— When the government subsidizes mortgages for IT specialists and removes the limits, it, in fact, invests in the stability of this entire system. IT specialists are not just those who write code. These are specialists who help businesses operate quickly and smoothly," he clarifies.
The demand for the preferential program is explained by the fact that many information technology specialists prefer to work remotely or in a hybrid format, says Irina Senatskaya, Chief Operating Officer of the IT vendor Basis. It is extremely important for such employees to have a comfortable workspace.
— In Bazis, for example, more than half of the specialists live and work in the regions. For them, the opportunity to take out a mortgage at a preferential interest rate is still relevant," says the interlocutor of Izvestia.
A preferential mortgage is a good measure to ensure that IT specialists benefit from staying and working in Russia. The ownership of real estate has a strong influence on making this decision, says Anton Polilov, founder of the OptimPro Internet marketing agency.
"This is a really good example of how the state solved the issue not with prohibitions and restrictions, but with the carrot," the expert believes.
Yulia Kuznetsova, an investment adviser in the Central Bank registry and a financial analyst, attributes high housing prices, low solvency of young people and attractive interest rates to the main reasons for the demand for IT mortgages. Such loans become critically important for many families in conditions of a high key interest rate.
Against the background of these factors, demand volumes exceeded the initial expectations of the state, Polilov notes. The existing restrictions often led to forced pauses in the granting of loans, says Alexei Govyrin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. The decision of the Ministry of Finance will eliminate such failures.
— Banks will be able to issue loans under the program without waiting for additional orders. This is especially important against the background of high activity of borrowers," the parliamentarian believes.
Lifting the limits will allow more people to improve their living conditions and, as a result, strengthen their connection with the Russian IT industry, Nikita Chaplin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes, is convinced.
New perspectives
However, the abolition of limits is beneficial not only for IT specialists, but also for banks, Alexey Govyrin notes. Thanks to it, credit institutions will not have to stop a popular line of business and lose potential customers. Thus, due to this tool, banks will be able to simultaneously increase their loan portfolio and participate in a socially significant project that contributes to the development of the Russian economy, Nikita Chaplin believes.
By the way, credit institutions do not need to invest in marketing and promote this particular service, but they have the opportunity to sell additional, more marginal products, says Anton Polilov. In fact, the program becomes break-even or even profitable for banks due to state support, Yulia Kuznetsova draws attention.
"In the context of a squeeze in demand for traditional mortgage products, such measures revitalize the market and allow banks to remain active in the retail lending segment," the analyst points out.
It is also important to take into account that IT specialists are highly qualified employees with stable earnings, which makes them solvent clients with a low level of risk, adds Miroslav Radkevich.
The increase in subsidies to banks for expenses related to the program's maintenance will support the initiative of the Ministry of Finance, Govyrin is confident.
"This will partially offset the costs of financial organizations and mitigate the additional commission burden for clients," the deputy believes.
According to Chaplin, the subsidies that the authorities will provide to banks will be a significant amount, due to which credit institutions will be able to increase their issuance volumes with greater confidence without fear for their profitability.
Not the only direction
The logic of the changes proposed by the authorities demonstrates the desire to preserve the attractiveness of IT mortgages as a tool for retaining and supporting highly qualified personnel in the technology industry, Alexey Govyrin believes.
— An IT mortgage is not just a preferential loan, it is an investment in the future of our country. It helps to attract and retain talented IT professionals, which is crucial for the development of Russia's digital economy," Nikita Chaplin agrees.
However, in order for the abolition of limits on the volume of issued IT mortgages to give a new impetus to this area of specialist support, it is important that restrictions be lifted on the purchase of housing in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Irina Senatskaya is convinced. Special attention should be paid to employees of IT companies registered in the capital who live in the regions.
The practice of hiring such specialists is widespread in many organizations, confirms Faina Lerner, Director of Organizational Development at Reksoft Group. If the employee is experienced and qualified enough, the company will not insist on his moving to the city where the office is located.
The program has other limitations that are worth paying attention to, the Izvestia interlocutor points out. IT mortgages are most in demand among young families with children. And the fact that it operates only within the framework of primary construction becomes a problem.
— Family people are more often looking for ready-made housing where they can move in and live. Such families do not have the opportunity to wait for the results of construction, especially considering that now the deadlines are often delayed," the Izvestia interlocutor emphasizes.
In addition, it would be wise to extend such support measures to other professionals involved in maintaining the smooth operation of Russia's digital economy, Miroslav Radkevich believes. Among them, he singles out sellers, logisticians and everyone involved in the work of digital platforms and ecosystems.
— These are people who ensure the development of the market and create jobs. If we are talking about the comprehensive digitalization of the country, then it would be good to think about supporting such participants, because without them no digital infrastructure will work. It is important that such measures become part of a broader policy to support all representatives of the digital economy ecosystem," the expert urges.
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