FAS: IN 2022 KEY INDICATORS OF COMPETITION DEVELOPMENT STANDARD HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED BY 100 % IN 12 COMMODITY MARKETS

In other 20 markets, the level of achievement is from 90 to 100 % [1]

It was announced by the State Secretary - Deputy Head of FAS Russia Sergey Puzyrevsky at the Annual Seminar on the Development of Competition in the Subjects of the Russian Federation in the Training and Methodology Center of FAS Russia.

At the seminar [3] the role of competition in the development of the economy of the regions, the introduction of a system of antimonopoly legislation by the authorities, as well as the reform of unitary enterprises were discussed. Besides, within the framework of the seminar, the first meeting of the Expert Council on the Development of Competition in the Regions under FAS Russia took place this year.

Sergey Puzyrevsky noted that the seminar contributes to the dissemination of the positive experience of the regions to the commodity markets throughout the country. In his opinion, competition should not be an end in itself, but an effective tool for improving the quality of life of our citizens.

For example, digital services for import substitution are actively developing in the Republic of Tatarstan. The region maintains a register of purchased imported products to assess the need for the production of import-substituted goods, in which there are more than 139 thousand items. Also in the Republic there is a service "Replacement proposals" to collect offers from manufacturers and sellers on the supply of necessary products.

A Portal of foreign economic activity has been created in the Sverdlovsk region, which is both a trading platform and a catalog of exporters, as well as a source of information about events and measures to support export-oriented businesses. Now it is used by 120,000 unique users from 152 countries around the world.

In the Amur and Voronezh regions, measures are being implemented to support local producers, as well as social support for residents through a system of discounts on goods in local stores.

A moratorium on making decisions on raising regional taxes for legal entities and individuals in 2022 has been introduced in the Novosibirsk Region.

In the Saratov region, small and medium-sized businesses are provided with a subsidy to reimburse 90 % of the first lease payment for the purchase of agricultural machinery, modern digital lathes, sets of refrigeration equipment.

Oksana Kuznetsova, Head of the Department for Cooperation with Regional Offices and Coordination of Projects for the Development of Competition of FAS Russia, drew attention to the reduction in the number of violations of antimonopoly legislation by the authorities. By the end of 2022, compared to 2017, the number of such violations decreased by more than 59 %.

Besides, last year the total number of [2] unitary enterprises decreased by 36.5 %. The largest decrease is observed in the North Caucasus Federal District (by 45.2 %), in the North-West Federal District (by 39.6 %), the Central Federal District (by 38.8 %). In the Moscow Region, in some areas, unitary enterprises have been completely liquidated in competitive markets – in the field of trade, funeral services, outdoor advertising, tourism, communications, and passenger transportation.

New approaches to issues related to the provision of preferences were also discussed as another tool to support participants in commodity markets. In his report, Anton Teslenko, Head of the Fiscal Control Department, noted that over the past year the authority has done a lot of work to increase transparency and systematize this process, as well as simplify the procedure for granting preferences for certain purposes, including support for small businesses: two federal laws and explanations of the Presidium of FAS Russia have been adopted.

[1] Of the 33 components of the minimum list of commodity markets to be included in the regional roadmaps for the development of competition in accordance with the Standard.

[2] Since the adoption of Federal Law No. 485-FZ of 27.12.2019 "On Amendments to the Federal Law "On State and Municipal Unitary Enterprises" and the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition".

[3] Within the framework of interaction with the regions of FAS Russia, an Annual Seminar–Meeting on the Development of Competition in the Subjects of the Russian Federation was held on the basis of the Training and Methodology Center of FAS Russia (Kazan), which was attended by more than 100 representatives of the executive authorities of the subjects of the Russian Federation and 23 Regional Offices of FAS Russia.