Senator of the Russian Federation Elena Diaghileva held a meeting with the participation of relevant departments, experts and representatives of the business community of the Kola Arctic. The main topic of the conversation was possible steps to further improve the current preferential regimes.
"The Murmansk Region is the leader in the number of residents of the Russian Arctic. The effect is visible "not on paper": this year it is planned to open a modern airport terminal, a new ophthalmology center is being built, gas stations have appeared in municipalities remote from the polar capital. And this is only a small part of the projects implemented by Arctic residents. The dynamics are maintained despite the difficult economic situation and sanctions pressure, which confirms the effectiveness of the mechanisms themselves in territories where the creation of any facilities, especially large–scale ones, involves risks for business," said Elena Diaghileva.
The parliamentarian stressed that government support, coupled with regional programs implemented under the strategic plan "Live in the North!" attracts major players to the Murmansk Region and gives an impetus to the local business community. In addition to the obvious economic impact, the social effect is equally important: the quality of life in the region is improving, new jobs are emerging and wages are rising, which directly affects the decision to relocate, both for the local population and for specialists from other regions of the country. At the same time, as Elena Diaghileva notes, experts, including the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation and the Federal Accounting Chamber, see the risk of an imbalance in tax revenues and the possibility of inefficient spending of budget funds due to the lack of clear criteria for granting benefits. According to her, it is necessary to take a consolidated approach to "fine-tuning" the mechanisms, taking into account the achieved result and the degree of influence of preferences on the region's economy.
"Our goal is to improve coordination between federal and regional authorities and the business community, including through joint discussions at such large–scale venues as the IAF or the WEF. This will synchronize the work on improving regulatory and legal regulation and make the process of allocating public resources transparent," the senator explained.
Svetlana Panfilova, Deputy Governor of the Murmansk Region, also spoke about the interaction between business and government, expressing gratitude to the entrepreneurs of the Arctic for their activity not only in using the tools operating in the territory, but also in informing about the need to reconfigure them.
"Preferential treatment is primarily aimed at attracting investments. In our region, as in the entire AZRF, along with other factors influencing decision-making, the so-called "northern appreciation" is in effect at all stages. Considering this fact, even at the start of 2020, Governor Andrey Chibis, together with the government team and business representatives, actively sought to lower the entry threshold for residents from 10 million to 1 million rubles. The decision was crucial for a significant expansion of the number and profile of companies implementing projects in the Murmansk Region," said the Vice Governor.
Summing up the work over the past five years, Svetlana Panfilova emphasized that the Murmansk Region is fully included in the largest economic zone in the world, which allows businesses with different income levels to consider any point in the region for investment. Among the most popular tools, she named the possibility of obtaining a land plot without bidding, reimbursement of insurance premiums and preferential preferences.
The meeting was attended by the heads of regional relevant ministries, the Murmansk City Council, the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs of the region, the President of the Murmansk Region / Severnaya Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as representatives of the AZRF resident companies.
/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /