LIPETSK REGION INTENDS TO INCREASE THE SHARE OF SME PROCUREMENT TO 50% BY 2022
Deputy Head of FAS Rachik Petrosyan and Head of Lipetsk Regional Authority, Igor Artamonov, discussed intermediary results of pursuing the National Competition Development Plan, approving the Road Map for developing competition in Lipetsk and options for support of small and medium business in procurement
Information about public and municipal facilities in the Lipetsk region has been actualized in line with the orders of the President of Russia issued following the State Council on competition development. In February 2019, Lipetsk abolished the provisions assigning road repair and maintenance functions to a regional unitary enterprise and enabling to conclude contracts with this entity as the single supplier. The entity is now under reorganization. The number of unitary enterprises in the Lipetsk regions reduced by 11.3% to 63 entities compared with the last year.
The key competition development targets are devised and approved, and 2019 – 2021Road Map for developing competition in Lipetsk is drafted. The document is submitted to FAS for approval.
The draft includes 51 indicators for 34 markets, including the financial services market, and specifies over 270 measures, of which 150 for the markets of commodities and 125 system-wide measures. The timelines and executors are given for each measure included in the Road Map. So far, Lipetsk has achieved the key competition development targets on 25 out of 33 markets.
One of the goals of the National Competition Development Plan approved by No. 618 Presidential order is to provide support to small and medium business and increase the share of procurement form small and medium companies.
For instance, to create favorable conditions for SME development, a “My Business” Centre will be formed in the region. Businessmen will be able to get the entire spectrum of services on the same site – from consulting to training and financial support. The region has 40,000 small and medium companies, with the workforce exceeding 121,000.
The share of SME procurement in the Lipetsk region increases year-to-year. In 2017 it was 25 %, and in 2018 already 40 %. The region undertakes increased obligations in its 2019 – 2021Road Map for developing competition – to achieve 50% by 2022.
As stated by Rachik Petrosyan, in 2018 Lipetsk was on the leading positions in Russia by the level of competition in procurement, being ahead of the Moscow region and St Petersburg with 3.9 applications per 1 lot.
Another target of the National Competition Development Plan is to reduce antimonopoly violations by the authorities and local self-government bodies.
As clarified by Head of Lipetsk OFAS Irina Potkina, in 2018 antimonopoly violations by the regional authorities decreased by 58% in comparison with 2017.
Executive bodies of the Lipetsk region passed regulatory acts to form an antimonopoly compliance system and made relative amendments to the relevant regulations.
Deputy Head of FAS Rachik Petrosyan concluded: “The Lipetsk region is on the 9th place among the regions of Russia for the quality of life of the population, on the 3rd place in the Russian Federation by the volume of per capita output of manufacturing products. Lipetsk is also in the TOP-5 regions by the volume of agricultural products per capita, and demonstrated good results by the scope of investments (the 3rd place in the Central Federal District) and retail turnover (the 4th place in the Central Federal District). I am confident that you will not only maintain such a positive dynamics but also multiply it”.