A session dedicated to special business regimes and preferences in the territory of the Russian Arctic was held on the sidelines of the International Arctic Forum "The Arctic – the Territory of Dialogue". The participants discussed measures of state support for investment projects in the Arctic, analyzed the effectiveness of existing preferential regimes and presented proposals for their improvement. Special attention was paid to the possibilities of adapting the successful experience of the Far East for the Arctic territories.
The discussion was moderated by Nikolay Zapryagaev, General Director of the Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic. Opening the session, he noted that the Arctic is a strategic region of Russia, where the country's key economic and geopolitical interests are concentrated.
"Today, the session is attended by representatives of all levels of government: from federal agencies to regional leaders, as well as those who invest real resources in the development of the Arctic. It is the business that "votes in rubles" that can give an objective assessment of which support measures are working and where changes are needed," said Nikolay Zapryagaev.
Ilya Chernov, Director of the Department for the Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation and the Implementation of Infrastructure Projects at the Ministry of the Far East Development of Russia, spoke about preferential Arctic regimes and the results of their application over the first five years, and also made a proposal to improve support.
"Today, the AZRF, TOP, and SPV preferments operate in the Arctic from Murmansk to Chukotka, they have attracted about a thousand investment projects worth about 2.1 trillion rubles. About a third of the projects have already been commissioned, 813 billion rubles have actually been invested and 18,000 jobs have been created. The numbers are high, but there is also room for growth. We are considering the possibility of creating industrial parks with ready–made infrastructure for resident businesses, by analogy with the Far East, because a ready-made site with all the necessary communications in the Arctic is the cornerstone for a successful business start," said Ilya Chernov.
Elena Diaghileva, Senator of the Russian Federation from the Murmansk Region, spoke about the positive changes in the investment climate in the Murmansk Region and the Arctic zone during the session. She clarified that since 2019, about 1.5 trillion rubles have already been invested in the region, which is 100% located in the Russian Arctic, and the investment portfolio includes over 300 projects with a total investment volume of 3.2 trillion rubles over a ten-year period. According to the senator, the report of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, which was reviewed in the upper house of parliament, showed the uneven impact of special economic zones and priority development territories on the development of the regions that created them. At the same time, the example of the Murmansk region demonstrates the effectiveness of these tools for improving the quality of life of northerners and the development of territories.
"Preferential regimes are a tool for regional development, but like any other, they require careful analysis and thoughtful use. The analysis of the Accounts Chamber showed that the preferences are not fully integrated into the Russian strategic planning system. In addition, the interaction between the enterprise and the government is important, as they say, in manual mode. Using the example of the Murmansk Region, we record a significant social effect from the activities of residents and the possibility of economic differentiation," said Elena Diaghileva.
The senator noted that 306 residents are already working in the Murmansk Region under two superlative regimes, the volume of actual investments has exceeded 264 billion rubles, which makes the region a leader in terms of investments by residents of the Russian Arctic. Thanks to the preferences, more than 5,8 thousand jobs have been created. During her report, she touched upon other social effects, which were facilitated by the preferences and decisions taken by Governor Andrey Chibis to increase the investment attractiveness of the region. Thus, the Murmansk Region is among the top 10 regions of Russia in terms of GRP per capita, average per capita monetary income and purchasing power of the population, as well as nominal accrued salary. The comprehensive work of the government and the synchronization of the regional strategic plan "Live in the North!" with national goals ensured that the share of the poor population in the Arctic Region fell below the national average and the registered unemployment rate has quadrupled since 2019. Elena Diaghileva also noted the significantly increased activity in cooperation between the regional government and enterprises operating in the Murmansk Region. Thus, according to the senator, from 2019 to 2023, the volume of investments of industrial partners in the implementation of various social projects increased fivefold and amounted to more than 24 billion rubles.
"For the further development of the Arctic and the reasonable and efficient development of its rich resource base, it is necessary to consolidate efforts on the part of the state and business. Including to attract additional investments. This can and should be facilitated by preferential treatment, which is a necessary fulcrum for deciding on the presence of an enterprise and the implementation of a project in a particular entity. But it is not one–time events that are extremely important, but long-term investments in territories, including for building up human capital, training the necessary personnel and creating a comfortable environment for residents of the Russian Arctic," the senator summed up.
Andrey Grachev, Vice President for Federal and Regional Programs at MMC Norilsk Nickel, also highlighted the issue of infrastructure support. He noted the importance of using public-private partnership tools to implement not only industrial, but also residential and social facilities. In addition, he stressed that, by analogy with the Far East, it is necessary to remove restrictions on the use of the TOP preference in single-industry towns for the implementation of such projects.
Guy Sobolev, advisor to the General director of Valla-Tunturi, which implements a comprehensive tourism project near the Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas, also added that for the successful operation of the project it is necessary to create a tourism cluster, infrastructural support, including the construction of access roads, as well as synchronization in terms of timely training for the developing industry.
Valentina Pivnenko, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, noted the high contribution of Arctic investment projects to the Russian economy. Thanks to the adopted laws, today the Arctic generates about 15% of Russia's GDP, or every sixth ruble, becoming the basis of the economy for the future. She noted the great contribution of the Murmansk Region to the development of the macroregion, stressing that for the first time in an extremely long period in the Arctic, a development strategy is being discussed on one platform with the participation of government representatives at all levels.
/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /