Roundtable ‘Small Business of the Far East. Opportunities, Conditions, and Preferences’

12 August 2019

Roundtable ‘Small Business of the Far East. Opportunities, Conditions, and Preferences’

The roundtable ‘Small Business of the Far East. Opportunities, Conditions, and Preferences’ will be held in Moscow on 21 August 2019 as part of preparations for the fifth Eastern Economic Forum.

Small business plays an essential and effective role in the development of the regional economy. The lion’s share of investments in the Far East today come from major projects, such as the Amur Gas Processing Plant, Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex, Rusagro, and Denisovsky Mining and Processing Plant. But these enterprises account for less than 15% of the total number of residents of advanced special economic zones and the Free Port of Vladivostok. Most residents are medium- and small-sized businesses.

Experts project that small businesses in Russia will employ roughly 25 million people by 2024 versus the current figure of around 19 million people. Entrepreneurs are expected to receive RUB 178 billion in financial support.

A survey of entrepreneurs in the Far East cited the following key obstacles: a lack of financial resources, high tax rates, competition with the black market, and the low availability of staff with the required qualifications. In addition to the government, financial institutions are also interested in developing small and medium-sized enterprises in the Far East today, as evidenced by the drafting and introduction of various measures to support this type of business.

Discussion topics:

· What opportunities are there today for entrepreneurs in the Far East?

· How will SME projects in the Far East be supported and what mechanisms will be used for this?

· What kind of assistance does small business expect from the government?

· What changes have entrepreneurs already seen in the regions of the Far East?

Invited panellists:

· Alexander Kozlov, Minister for Development of the Far East and the Arctic;

· Alexey Chekunkov, CEO, Far East Development Fund

· Sergey Khovrat, Director General, Agency for the Development of Human Capital in the Far East

· Andrey Shubin, Executive Director, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Opora Russia

· Alexander Braverman, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board, SME Corporation

· Artem Avetisyan, Director, New Business Department, Agency for Strategic Initiatives; Chairman, Leaders’ Club for the Promotion of Business Initiatives Non-Profit Partnership

When and where: 21 August 2019, 15:00–17:00, Steklyany Hall.

Venue: Moscow, 4 Zubovsky Bulvar (Rossiya Segodnya).

Media accreditation is required. Accreditation is open until 18:00 on 20 August at pr@forumvostok.ru.

Contact person: Anna Shelpuk (+7 909 643 7572).

Roundtable ‘Small Business of the Far East. Opportunities, Conditions, and Preferences’

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