GOVERNOR OF THE PSKOV REGION: THE TOURIST INDUSTRY IS DEVELOPING DYNAMICALLY
An interview of Governor of the Pskov region, Mikhail Vedernikov, on executing the National Competition Development Plan in the region
- The National Competition Development Plan was approved at the end of 2017. Today, 1.5 years later, we can sum up intermediary results of implementing it. Please explain what is already achieved in the Pskov region?
- First of all, we fulfilled all main orders issued following the State Council.
The key targets are approved for 36 markets (instead of the 33 recommended ones). In several areas, such as retail market of the electric power industry, retail trade with petrochemicals, the light industry, passenger taxi and road construction, the share of private companies is 100 %.
It means that the FAS indicators are already reached in these sectors.
We have passed regulations on antimonopoly compliance, analyze state and municipal unitary enterprises, introduced ranking of local self-government bodies in competition development.
As the last meeting, Deputy Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, Andrey Tsyganov, praised highly the result of our efforts, which certainly is a good incentive to mover forward in this direction.
- What is the increase in p.c. of public and municipal contracts with small business?
- The total value of the contracts concluded with small companies and socially-oriented NGOs increased nearly twofold in 2018 (by 1.3 billion RUB).
In 2017 the share of procurement from small business was 29 % (1.4 billion RUB), and in 2018 – 31% (2.7 billion RUB).
- How dud you manage to reduce the number of unitary enterprises? Which measures were undertaken to this end?
- The regional authority undertakes focused efforts to optimize the number of state unitary enterprises and improved entry of companies to the markets of goods and services.
In several years the number of state unitary enterprises in the region decreased nearly twofold: from 20 entities at the beginning of 2015 to 9 at the beginning of 2019.
Obviously, the number of unitary enterprises should decrease gradually, in view of the social-and-economic tasks for regional development.
- In your opinion, how successful are measures on creating and implementing antimonopoly compliance?
- A system of in-house antimonopoly compliance to the norms of the antimonopoly law is already organized in the Pskov region, and the necessary regulatory acts are passed.
Hopefully, implementation of antimonopoly compliance will reduce violations of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” by the authorities. The current trends fully match the goals.
- Two priority markets for competition support are approved for the Pskov region: the agro-industrial complex and tourism. How are these markets developing? Which efforts are undertaken in this area?
- Both areas are developing truly dynamically and maintain high potential for the future.
For example, the volume of products in the agro-industrial complex at all categories of companies in 2018 reached nearly 35 billion RUB. The production index was 110.6 % to the level of 2017, which is higher than on average in the North-West Federal District and in Russia.
The Pskov region has also been in the 1st place in the North-West Federal District for increase of the cattle breeding output of in the past five years.
Competitiveness in the industry is increasing due to purchasing new machinery and equipment and expanding the representation system.
Training personnel for the industry and popularizing this sector among the population takes special attention. Land plots for agricultural production are provided on attractive terms.
Regarding tourism: since 2014 tax payments increased by six times - from 150 million RUB to 934 million RUB in 2018. The flow of tourists last year was 390,000 people.
In 2018, the Pskov region was represented at the following international exhibitions: “Balttour” (Latvia), “Otdykh” (Belarus) and “Otdykh” (Moscow). Info-tours are organized regularly for representatives of mass media and tourist business from other regions.
An important project is fulfilled: “Pskovsky” Tourism-and-Recreation Cluster. 13 facilities of supporting infrastructure, 156 tourist infrastructure facilities were commissioned and more than 100 jobs created.
The project has changed our capabilities in the tourist industry dramatically – the market built them up practically immediately. Now we plan to further develop tourist infrastructure in another cluster – “Spiritual beginnings”.
It can be pointed out that the Pskov region also participates in large federal projects: “Silver Necklace of Russia” “Russian Manor Houses”, “Live lessons”, “My Russia”.
All this, in conjunction with the efforts that we apply to expand transport capabilities of the region, help us create new companies, attract investors and tour operators from other regions.
The tourist industry is developing dynamically, promptly gaining the necessary experience due to competition.
- Which successful experience of the Pskov region can you share with other regions?
- As a positive practice, we should mention development of the market of pre-school services.
One of our priorities in this sphere is developing educational programmes of technical specialization both in pre-school facilities and on the basis of general academic schools.
Two technoparks for kids opened in Pskov in the past two years: Pskov Engineering-and-Linguistics School and “Without Limit” Centre of Science and Sport.
In 2018, we opened the first technopark for kids in Pskov – “Quantorium”, and this year we are developing a similar centre in Velikie Luki.
Technoparks offer additional programmes on robotics, programming, engineering, natural sciences, circuit technology, 3D-simulation and prototyping.
Through common efforts, we managed to launch several very important projects simultaneously on practically empty market. These projects full meet the modern requirements.
- Competition development experience from which region you find interesting and important for copying in the Pskov region?
- We are especially interested in social entrepreneurship practices. Here we practically do not have private companies, but it is truly important for a number of reasons.
We need NGOs to work with cultural facilities, we have a high share of elderly population who need a special approach, and there are difficulties with the environment.
As an example to be guided by, I can mention Bashkortostan, where through a system of public-private partnership, a private assisted living facility for the elderly and disabled is formed, that is already committed to a considerable part of work in this field.
Similar projects today are needed to our region, but they can be developed only through competition.
- Your assessment of the work of Pskov OFAS?
- We have built close and constructive collaboration with Pskov OFAS on all essential issues. I believe that any region can benefit from such cooperation, and we value very much the readiness of our colleagues to a dialogue.
We hold general working meetings on a regular basis, there are ongoing Working Groups sessions, and we invite OFAS experts for consultations and master-classes.
Recently, OFAS helped organize a procurement workshop for the staff of the regional authority and municipalities. The main errors facing participants in the course of public procurement were analysis in a form of a business game. It is a very useful experience, especially now, when we have started actively fulfilling the National projects.
- Please describe briefly the plans on collaboration with FAS, wishes, aspirations – where are we moving to, which results try to achieve?
- The vectors are the same: increasing the share of private sector in the socially important fields, enhancing openness of the work of executive bodies, reducing administrative barriers for private business.
We also plan events and working consultations to exchange experience and the best practices from other regions.
FAS possesses valuable experience and competences, that are necessary to improve the work of executive bodies, and we welcome FAS readiness to share this knowledge.