Category: Russian Economy

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The State Duma considered draft federal laws on regulating the platform economy and changes to industry laws in connection with the introduction of new requirements. Deputies discussed the balance of interests of participants in legal relations, the nuances of regulation, and liability for violating the provisions of the future law. Parliamentarians supported the adoption of the bills in the first reading.

The key discussion took place in the Economic Policy Committee chaired by Maxim Topilin. The main provisions of the draft law were presented by the Minister of Economic Development of Russia Maxim Reshetnikov. According to him, the platform economy is developing rapidly: in the last 4 years alone, online sales have grown 4 times, and 80% of Internet users regularly place orders through platforms. On the one hand, this opens up new opportunities for business, especially for SMEs. On the other hand, large platforms have become de facto regulators of access to the market, not being responsible for the quality of goods and services, and the relations between platforms and the self-employed and individual entrepreneurs remain unregulated.

"All this determined the emergence of a strong public demand for the creation of clear rules for the operation of platforms. And in order to respond to it, on behalf of the Government, draft laws were developed. The proposed regulation and clear set of rules are aimed at protecting the interests of all market participants and ensuring its further growth. This is especially important for accelerating, on behalf of the President, structural changes in the economy," emphasized Maxim Reshetnikov.

The new regulation introduces uniform standards for platforms: verification of sellers, control over the quality of goods, transparency of contracts and protection of the rights of entrepreneurs. For example, platforms will not be able to impose discounts without the consent of the seller, and disputes can be resolved not only in court, but also through the pre-trial appeal mechanism.

The regulation will come into effect in 2027, so that businesses and platforms have time to adapt. The intermediary digital platforms themselves will be included in a separate register, which will ensure flexibility of regulation for all players, noted Maxim Reshetnikov. The criteria for their selection will be determined by the Government of the Russian Federation. Among the main ones discussed are the volume of transactions, the number of active users and sellers.

"Today we considered issues related to ensuring, first of all, additional requirements for platforms and obligations that will be established for platforms. This includes the formation of product cards, interaction with labeling, certification, and licensing systems. On the one hand, this will protect consumer rights and, on the other hand, will certainly create a unified legal regulation. It is very important, and everyone noted this, that laws allow a very large number of small entrepreneurs who previously could not break into retail chains to very quickly find their niche thanks to platform technologies. This is an additional incentive to support, including small businesses, the development of jobs and the formation of a small economy in different regions," Maxim Topilin, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, commented on the meeting.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Svyatoslav Sorokin took part in a meeting on the socio-economic development of the Siberian Federal District, which was held on July 8 in Omsk under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev. The event was attended by the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District Anatoly Seryshev, heads of regions, representatives of federal ministries and key industry companies.

"Our main goal is to create opportunities to accelerate the pace of economic growth in Siberian regions, and, of course, to improve the quality of life of people. First of all, we control the implementation of the government's Strategy for the Development of the Federal District until 2035. About two trillion rubles have already been attracted to its activities, and more than 42 thousand jobs have been created," said Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev during the meeting.

Svyatoslav Sorokin presented a report on amendments to the plan for implementing the Strategy for Socioeconomic Development of the Siberian Federal District. On behalf of the Government, the revised document was submitted on June 27. The updated plan includes individual development programs for the subjects, as well as new investment and infrastructure projects.

The proposed measures will increase the volume of investment in the district's economy to 18 trillion rubles, as well as create over 195 thousand jobs. The plan is synchronized with the updated national projects and will be further specified within the framework of the implementation of the Strategy for Spatial Development of the Russian Federation until 2030. Special attention is paid to the development of key settlements: a list of 294 key settlements in the regions of Siberia has been approved.

During the meeting, an assessment was also given of the implementation of the so-called curatorship projects – these are priority regional initiatives, for the implementation of which the leadership of the Ministry of Economic Development is personally responsible. According to Svyatoslav Sorokin, these projects play a key role in the development of infrastructure, industry, tourism and other sectors. Thanks to these initiatives, over 21 thousand jobs have been created in the district and about 1.4 trillion rubles of extra-budgetary investments have been attracted.

The report paid special attention to the work on forming a list of priority investment projects in Siberia. On the instructions of the Government, the Ministry of Economic Development, together with other departments, selected 103 projects that have the greatest socio-economic effect on the development of the district's subjects. The priority list included initiatives with an investment volume of over 3 billion rubles, as well as curatorship projects, industry clusters and initiatives in the field of rare earth metals, agreed upon with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia.

Particular attention was paid to the implementation of the Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) in the Siberian Federal District. As Svyatoslav Sorokin emphasized, Siberia is in the focus of the federal agenda: by 2030, the target indicators are defined as stabilization of the population at a level no lower than 2023, an increase in the district's share in housing commissioning to 15.4%, as well as an increase in the ratio of gross regional product per capita to 83.6% of the Russian average.

To achieve these indicators, the key priority of the SPR is the development of support settlements (SSC). The list approved by the Government Commission for Regional Development included 294 settlements in the territory of the Siberian Federal District.

"Development of key settlements is a key point of concentration of efforts in Siberia. We see that it is in these territories that the potential for economic growth, improvement of quality of life and increase of investment attractiveness is concentrated. It is important that all support measures are built with an orientation towards spatial logic of development – so that investments work for the comprehensive development of territories, and not pointwise, without taking into account connections and prospects," emphasized Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Svyatoslav Sorokin.

Also, within the framework of the implementation of the Spatial Development Strategy and in pursuance of the message of the President of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economic Development, together with the regions, is forming a list of cities for the development of master plans. This process is being carried out in the development of decisions of the strategic session of the Government and should be completed by January 2026.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia sent to the Government report on the results of the work of special economic zones for 2024. Such analysis is carried out annually in accordance with the rules for assessing the effectiveness of the functioning of the SEZ, approved by the Government.

The overall efficiency indicator was 90% (the functioning of the SEZ is considered effective if the overall calculated indicator is 80%).

"In recent years, the number of SEZs in the country has increased significantly. New territories with a preferential regime have already been included in the rating, but have not yet reached full capacity. At the same time, residents are actively entering the "young" SEZs, expanding production and investing, creating highly paid jobs. Thus, the lion's share of all investments in the SEZ in 2024 were provided by territories created in 2020-2022. It is important that businesses are increasing investments in the development of new technologies – R&D costs have grown by almost 60% and exceeded 35 billion rubles. This means that even in difficult conditions, companies continue to search for and implement innovative solutions, update products and develop new markets," said Deputy Minister of Economic Development Svyatoslav Sorokin.

According to the assessment results, the leaders in terms of efficiency for 2024 were industrial production zones in the Samara Region (Tolyatti), the Republic of Tatarstan (Alabuga), Moscow Region (Stupino Kvadrat), Ivanovo Region (Ivanovo), Lipetsk Region (Lipetsk), and Kaluga Region (Kaluga).

"Special economic zones remain one of the most effective instruments of state support for investors. Last year, residents invested more than 1.2 trillion rubles in projects, which is twice as much as the year before. Over 25 thousand new jobs were created, which is 40% more than in 2023. These results confirm that businesses are comfortable working in SEZ conditions: these are tax and customs preferences, ready-made infrastructure, administrative support and reduced costs for connecting to resources. All this makes SEZ sites growth points and attractive for long-term investments," Svyatoslav Sorokin emphasized.

"Business investments are new high-tech production facilities, jobs, and taxes that we direct to the development of the social sphere and improving the quality of life of our citizens. And the special economic zone "Togliatti" with its opportunities and preferences is an effective tool for attracting private investment, a key growth point. The development of the capacities of the SEZ "Togliatti" will contribute to the development of the regional economy and increase the competitiveness of the region in the investment arena," said the Governor of the Samara Region Vyacheslav Fedorishchev.

"Of course, the preferences of the special economic zone play an important role when an investor chooses a location – these are both tax benefits and ready-made infrastructure. For us, the SEZ in Baikalsk has become part of the important work to create a new environmentally friendly business format on the former industrial site," said Igor Kobzev, Governor of the Irkutsk Region. He also noted that there is currently a high interest from investors in the SEZ, in connection with which the regional authorities are preparing documents for the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation to expand the preferential regime zone.

"The Saint Petersburg Special Economic Zone annually confirms its effectiveness, taking places in the top three special economic zones of the technology implementation type. We are the leader in the volume of tax deductions from our residents to the country's budget system. This makes a significant contribution to the high assessment of our work. Over 19 years of operation, two operating sites of the SEZ have already brought Saint Petersburg 135 billion rubles in investments, almost 8 thousand jobs and about 29 billion rubles in tax deductions. The city sees the effect for Saint Petersburg and is interested in scaling up the project," said Tamara Rondaleva, General Director of JSC Saint Petersburg Special Economic Zone.

The efficiency assessment was carried out based on 25 quantitative indicators, as well as six calculated metrics, including: the performance of residents, the profitability of investments from budgets at all levels in the infrastructure of the zones, the efficiency of management bodies, the quality of planning during the creation of the SEZ, and the contribution to the achievement of national development goals defined by the May decree of the President of the Russian Federation.

Every year new production facilities are opened in the territory of special economic zones. In 2024 alone, several socially significant and high-tech projects began operating at once.

The production of televisions under the GigaFactory brand has started in the Novgorodskaya SEZ — this is the first and only enterprise of its kind in the region. The plant produces “smart” televisions based on a domestic operating system, which makes the project an important element of import substitution.

On the territory of the SEZ "Lotus", the company "Rybnye Korma" launched the first stage of the plant for the production of feed for industrial aquaculture – sturgeon, catfish, trout, salmon, sea bass and dorado. The production is focused on domestic raw materials, and the volume of feed production today is up to 25 thousand tons per year.

The Krasnogorsky dairy plant has started operating in the Orenburg SEZ. The processing capacity is up to 150 tons of milk per day, the range is more than 50 types of dairy and fermented milk products. The products are supplied not only to retail chains in the Orenburg Region and neighboring regions, but also to Kazakhstan and China.

The Petexpert plant, specializing in the production of high-quality pet food from natural raw materials, has opened in the Lipetsk SEZ. The enterprise produces up to 20 thousand tons of dry food per year and is developing regional exports.

On the territory of the SEZ PPT "Alga" in Bashkortostan, the company "Azimut" launched an innovative plant for the production of road paint and cold plastic for marking. The production is located in the industrial park "Ufimsky" and is equipped with a modern laboratory and lines. The products are used in the implementation of federal and regional programs for the construction of transport infrastructure.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

China has been Russia's leading trading partner for over 10 years. Despite global market fluctuations and sanctions pressure, bilateral cooperation continues to strengthen, showing significant positive results. This was stated by Dmitry Volvach, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, during the plenary session of the fifth Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation, which was held as part of the ninth Russian-Chinese EXPO in parallel with the INNOPROM industrial exhibition in Yekaterinburg. In total, the Russian-Chinese portfolio includes more than 80 investment projects worth more than $200 billion.

According to the Federal Customs Service of Russia and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, in 2024, trade turnover between the countries reached a historical maximum, increasing by 7.5%. In January-April 2025, these figures will remain the same. "On the instructions of the presidents of our countries, by 2030, our goal is to scale the volume of mutual trade to 300 billion dollars. In this regard, we are actively working to implement the Russian-Chinese Economic Cooperation Plan until 2030," Dmitry Volvach emphasized.

In recent years, Russian-Chinese cooperation has reached a new level, thanks to the large-scale implementation of infrastructure projects, especially in the energy and transport and logistics sectors. Among the largest infrastructure projects of Russia and China, the Deputy Minister named the construction of two gas complexes in the village of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad Region, which will produce up to 144 million tons of liquefied natural gas by 2035. More than 120 cooperation agreements have been concluded between Russian regions and Chinese provinces. In 2024, 311 joint events were held, and in 2025 – already 96. A list of 86 joint projects worth $ 201 billion has been approved. Among the key ones are the creation of the Bely Rast terminal and logistics complex in the Moscow Region and the development of the Dry Port in the Sverdlovsk Region.

The Deputy Minister emphasized the great tourism potential of Russia and China. In the first quarter of 2025, the total tourist flow increased by 20%. To further increase it, the visa regime is being simplified: it is planned to increase the period of stay with an electronic visa from 16 to 30 days. Work is also underway to reduce the minimum composition of a tourist group from five to three people and increase the visa-free period from 15 to 21 days.

Russia is actively promoting tourism products under the Discover Russia brand, and the restoration of air traffic is contributing to the growth of passenger traffic. “We are confident that in the near future we will reach pre-pandemic indicators and reach new heights,” Dmitry Volvach emphasized.

The world's first cross-border cable car between Khabarovsk and Heihe, which will open in 2026, will also be a significant infrastructure project. Zhang Hanhui, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Russia, in his welcoming address to the forum participants, noted: "In recent years, the mechanism of cooperation between the regions of Russia and China has been continuously improved. Recently, the fifth meeting of the Yangtze-Volga Regional Cooperation Council and the meeting of the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between Northeast China and the Russian Far East were successfully held in Russia. Exchanges between regional delegations of the two countries have become closer, and interaction between enterprises is developing according to the principle of "mutual striving to meet halfway."

The forum was also attended by Deputy Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region Vasily Kozlov, Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province Han Shengjian, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Tatarstan Oleg Korobchenko, Deputy Secretary General of the People's Government of Liaoning Province Sun Wei, Deputy Governor of the Tomsk Region Vasily Potemkin, President of OPORA RUSSIA Alexander Kalinin and Vice President of Xuanyuan Corporation Jiao Jian.

"We expect that joint work within the Forum and other events of the EXPO business program will contribute to the accelerated development of interregional cooperation between Russia and China, because interregional cooperation is the basis for further development of mutual trade, entails mutual cooperation in the market of production, investment and tourism resources. Together, we continue to do one big thing – we strive to create all the necessary conditions for the formation of a fair and multipolar world order, strengthening stability and security," Dmitry Volvach summed up.

Representatives of 35 Russian regions and over 300 Chinese companies took part in the forum. Businessmen and heads of government bodies from 18 Chinese provinces arrived in Russia.

The EXPO business program included discussions on issues of scientific and technical sphere, trade and investment, support of export and urban environment, development of medicine, as well as youth business cooperation. During the INNOPROM exhibition, a contact exchange on key areas of cooperation was held.

The INNOPROM exhibition was attended by delegations of business circles and government bodies from more than 50 countries. National expositions were presented by Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, China, India and others.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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