The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) congress took place on March14, 2019 during the Russian Business Week.

The event gathered the representatives of business unions, heads of constituents of the Russian Federation, heads of the leading domestic companies and development institutes, members of the government. The President of the Russian Federation attended the plenary session of the congress and haв an open talk with the members of RSPP Board.

RSPP President Alexander Shokhin opened the congress. He presented a report about the business climate in 2018 and the key results of the Russian Business Week stressing that businessmen are still concerned about qualified human resources, administrative barriers, high level of fiscal burden. At the same time RSPP head mentioned “a few positive moments for business” last year, for example the graduation of movable property from taxation. Alexander Shokhin reminded that the “regulatory guillotine” should relieve business from the outdated requirements from the government and should reduce the number of regulatory authorities.

The RSPP President also expressed concern regarding the unbalanced situation with the non-tax payments and the rough work on the movable property legislation.

The President of Russia Vladimir Putin welcomed the congress and mentioned that the business is a direct and crucial player in the implementation of national projects and infrastructure development plans.

The congress also saw the signing of the Agreement of cooperation between RSPP and the Ministry of Construction Industry, Housing and Utilities Sector of Russia; the Agreement of cooperation between RSPP, the Administration of Smolensk region and the Science and Industry Union of Smolensk.

After the congress RSPP will present to the President of Russia the proposals worked out during forums and conferences of the Russian Business Week – 2019.

Following the congress Vladimir Putin had a meeting with RSPP President Alexander Shokhin and members of RSPP Board gathering 29 representatives of large business, members of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Head of the Central Bank of Russia Elvira Nabuillina.

At the meeting the government was represented by the First Vice-Premier – Minister of finance Anton Siluanov, Vice-Premier Dmitry Kozak, heads of the Ministry of industry and trade and the Ministry of economic development Denis Manturov and Maksim Oreshkin, the Assistant to the President Andrey Belousov.

Participants of the congress: FBA EAC General Director Oleg Berezovoy and Chairman of FBA EAC Supervisory Board, Member of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission from Kazakhstan, Minister in charge of Economy and Financial Policy of EEC Timur Zhaksylykov.