ANATOLY GOLOMOLZIN: THE OMSK REGION DEMONSTRATES A POSITIVE TREND FULFILLING THE NATIONAL PLAN

On 18 October, during a working meeting with Chairman of the Government of the Omsk region, Alexander Burkov, Deputy Head of FAS Anatoly Golomolzin discussed intermediary results of the National Competition Development Plan

Deputy Head of FAS chaired a meeting on mainstreaming the Action Plan – Road Map for competition development in the region and took part in an international forum of social entrepreneurs.

In summer last year, FAS signed an Agreement on Cooperation with the Government of the Omsk region.

Regarding development of the regional economy under the frame of the National Plan, Deputy Head of FAS pointed out:

“Omsk has undertaken obligations for 41 markets from the list approved by the State Council on competition development. The Omsk region has 100 % presence of the private sector in 16 out of 41 markets - 39%”.

Determining the key competition development targets, Omsk specially highlighted the market of social services – education, healthcare, food products, social services and culture.

Commenting competition development in the region, Anatoly Golomolzin emphasized successful efforts of Omsk in this area.

“Private companies are being formed in preschool, general and additional education, care homes for the elderly and disabled, medical and sport facilities. Around 90 private entities operate in the social sphere. So far, over 2500 social entrepreneurs are registered in the Omsk region, a “social innovations cluster” is created and is developing with already more than 30 collaborative projects in preschool and additional education, healthcare, social services. These projects are directly aimed at reaching the objectives set in the National Projects on “Demography”, “Healthcare” and “Education”, continued Deputy Head of FAS.

Anatoly Golomolzin drew attention to the successful efforts of the region towards decreasing the number of unitary enterprises in various sectors of the economy.

“Since 2016, unitary state and municipal enterprises decreased in the Omsk region by 10%, state unitary enterprises – by 29%, state-run enterprises – by 6%. The share of private sector in the structure of economic entities exceeded 84%”,informed Deputy Head of FAS Legal Department, Oksana Kuznetsova.

Anatoly Golomolzinreminded that one of the main goals of the National Competition Development Plan is at least halving violations of the antimonopoly law by the authorities and local-self-government bodies to 2020 compared with 2017.

He stressed: “The Omsk region is moving towards this aim. 31 antimonopoly violations were registered in 2017, and in the past months of 2019 the number is down to 9. There is confidence that the objective will be fully reached”.

“Significant results are achieved through our collaboration – improving enforcement and integrated efforts to prevent antimonopoly violations through antimonopoly compliance together with Omsk OFAS”, continued Deputy Head of FAS.

Omsk region presented a refined and approved draft Road Map, where all parameters are clarified.

Deputy Head of FAS Legal Department, Oksana Kuznetsova highlighted: “A draft Road Map submitted for approval overall complies with the Competition Development Standard. The included measures can suffice to achieve the key targets, for example, measures aimed at developing exchange trade in Omsk, personified financing of children’s additional education, decreasing state participation in the economy, etc.”

Deputy Head of FAS outlined FAS involvement in the National Projects. He pointed out that 12 National Projects are being executed following the “May” order of the President of Russia, including a package of social-and-economic measures in different sectors.

“Siberian entrepreneurial experience has always been important, the National Projects in the Omsk region will take place in 12 areas, and it is planned to invest dozens of billions Rubles to these ends by 2024”, mentioned Deputy Head of FAS.

He also discussed forthcoming work covering different aspects of developing competition in Omsk.

Summing up the meeting, Anatoly Golomolzin added:

“Information shall be published about the work in this area by different regions. The situation should be assessed not only through the eyes of federal and regional authorities but also public at large. We will publish materials reflecting the outcome of such work. Together with Interfax and “Komsomolskaya Pravda” we are preparing monthly publications to give a full picture of current changes. The All-Russian People’s Front is also involved in the project. It is essential to have totally objective and comprehensive assessment of our efforts, so that not only FAS evaluates our own work and report it, but we can also hear “vox populi”, stated Anatoly Golomolzin.