The State Duma offered to give credit holidays to sellers who lost goods due to the attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Deputies from the Communist Party faction in the State Duma proposed to introduce a temporary deferral of loan payments for sellers whose goods were destroyed or damaged as a result of attacks on marketplace warehouses. The corresponding letter to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was reviewed by TASS on July 29.

"The Communist Party of the Russian Federation believes that in the current situation it is necessary to provide additional support to the affected entrepreneurs. As part of their own support measures, Wildberries' subsidiaries, WB Bank and WB Finance, have already provided sellers with a free deferral on all loans and borrowings. We propose to extend a similar mechanism to all banks and credit organizations without exception," Yuri Afonin, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, said in an interview with the agency.

The letter says that many sellers working on electronic trading platforms have used borrowed funds to develop their businesses and continue to repay loans to banks. However, due to problems with compensation for lost goods, they face serious financial difficulties and are forced to reduce their activities, which may further lead to a reduction in the assortment on marketplaces and the closure of individual production facilities.

In this regard, the deputies proposed to introduce temporary credit holidays and exempt the affected entrepreneurs from paying interest on loans upon confirmation of losses incurred due to force majeure circumstances, including military operations. At the same time, the procedure for confirming damage and the timing of such support, in their opinion, should be determined by the Russian government.

Afonin stressed that the adoption of this measure will help avoid bankruptcy of a large number of self-employed citizens and representatives of small and medium-sized businesses, save jobs, tax revenues and the stability of the country's economy.

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Alexander Maslennikov, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, said on July 29 that Ukraine's attacks on Wildberries warehouses were aimed at destabilizing small businesses and gaining a media effect. The Deputy Secretary of the Security Council added that such losses can be significant for entrepreneurs, but they are "very limited" for the economy as a whole.