ANNA MIROCHINENKO: OBSERVING COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS IN GRANTING SUBSIDIES BECOMES ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT

Head of FAS Department for Control over Chemical Industry and Agro-Industrial Complex discussed availability of subsidies for small business and the measures of the National Competition Development Plan

On 15 February, the Committee of the Federation Council on agro- and food policy and use of natural resources held parliamentary hearings “On improving the mechanisms of state support of the agro-industrial complex of the Russian Federation”.

Anna Mirochinenko, Head of FAS Department for Control over Chemical Industry and Agro-Industrial Complex, informed the participants about approving 2018-2020 National Competition Development Plan¹. In particular, the speaker pointed out that one of the key indicators, that are targeted by the National Plan, is decreasing the number of violations of the antimonopoly law by the authorities twofold to 2020.

In this context FAS efforts to ensure observing competitive conditions in granting subsidies are of special importance. Anna Mirochinenko described the measures undertaken by FAS in this filed and outlined a number of proposals designed to improve information transparency of the subsidies procedure and making them better available for small business.

“In particular, it is proposed to introduce the filing order for bank involvement in the easy-loan system, and use only electronic document flow between the authorized banks and the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia for easy-term loans. FAS also believe it is expedient to set up the upper threshold for the average annual income of the economic entity, determining its right to obtain green-box subsidies”, summed up Anna Mirochinenko.

¹  No. 618 Order of the president of the Russian Federation "On the basic directions of the state policy for developing competition" of 21.12.2017 (jointly with 2018 - 2020 National Plan for Developing Competition in the Russian Federation")