4 September 2019
A package of investment projects in priority industries has been created
for the Central Federal District
“As of the beginning of September, the Investment Council has created a
portfolio of 208 projects worth a total of USD 15 billion. This is the first
project for proposals. An online resource has been specially developed
(selectcr.site),” Igor Shchegolev, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the
Central Federal District.
“The project portfolio covers 12 sectors of the economy, and encompasses
208 projects which are already in a position to attract investment. <...>
The average return on projects in this portfolio is 10–35%, depending on the
sector,” Sergei Kachaev, Co-Chairman, Council on Investment Authorized in the
Central Federal District.
The Central Federal District has the infrastructure needed for investors
“Central Russia has 15,000 hectares of industrial land with transport
and utilities infrastructure in place. It also has 7 special economic zones, 16
regions with special tax and administrative regimes, 136 industrial parks, and
193 individual plots with fully developed infrastructure,” Sergei Kachaev, Co-Chairman,
Council on Investment Authorized in the Central Federal District.
Trade between Central Russia and countries of the Far East is growing at
a rapid rate
“Last year, trade with Japan increased by 21%, with South Korea by 34%,
and with China by 35%. In addition, talks took place in June this year between
the leaders of Russia and China. <...> A new form of interregional
collaboration between the Central Federal District and Northern China was
announced,” Igor Shchegolev, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Central
Federal District.
“All aspects related to transport have been solved, trains regularly
travel to all ports in China, and we have seen the first trains travel to
Japan, Vietnam, and India. <...> Today will see the signing of a deal
<...> related to the new so-called ‘agro-train’,” Vladimir Potemkin,
Deputy Governor of Kaluga Region; Head of Kaluga Region Government Office under
the Government of the Russian Federation.
The Central Russian economy possesses considerable investment potential
“A fundamental driver of growth will be <...> the number of cars
per 1,000 people. In Russia, the figure is half that of Europe. That is why the
Russian automotive market must grow in the long term,” Maxim Kondratyev, Chief
Executive Officer, Alfa Automative Technologies.
“Why is the chemicals industry in Central Russia attractive to
investors? First of all, it accounts for sizeable part of the market at USD 72
billion. Chemicals are used substantially. <...> We export chemical
products worth a total of USD 8 billion,” Sergei Kachaev, Co-Chairman, Council
on Investment Authorized in the Central Federal District.
“Central Russia not only opens for me the whole of Russia, but also the
CIS. <...> My aim is to maximize exports from here,” Rajesh Sharma, Chief
Executive Officer, Advanced Group.
Central Russia offers highly qualified personnel
“We have a highly productive workforce concentrated in Central Russia.
Forty per cent of our workers are university educated, and we have the biggest
research centres, which can aid scientific developments in the chemicals
industry,” Sergei Kachaev, Co-Chairman, Council on Investment Authorized in the
Central Federal District.
“Why did we come to Belgorod? We signed an agreement, but other reasons
were that in our field we require manpower, and Belgorod University is one of
the universities in Russia which is giving out a lot of good professionals.
What also interested us in Belgorod was the infrastructure. Already there
existed a polyvitamin factory,” Rajesh Sharma, Chief Executive Officer,
Advanced Group.
PROBLEMS
Qualification requirements for local and regional managers are
increasing
“Success depends greatly on the work done by local and regional teams
who support these projects. <...> Regional support measures and services
in the regions of Central Russia are constantly adapting to new conditions.
They are improving,” Artur Niyazmetov, Deputy Presidential Plenipotentiary
Envoy to the Central Federal District.
The need to improve the urban environment
“The second priority is the quality of the urban environment. People
don’t just work at our enterprises, they live in the city. <...> A
pleasant environment is very often the deciding factor for an investor,” Denis
Tikhonov, Minister of the Moscow Government; Head of the Department of Economic
Policy and Development of the City of Moscow.
SOLUTIONS
Simplifying bureaucratic procedures
“With regards the Construction Support Centre, we brought together
representatives from all agencies responsible for issuing permits at one site.
And there are a great many such agencies. <...> We agreed that all these
documents could be sent electronically. <...> We have agreements with
representatives of federal government bodies whereby we can receive answers
regarding the approval of projects within 15–30 days maximum, rather than the
standard 60 days. <...> A personal manager helps coordinate our
interactions with all departments,” Vadim Khromov, Deputy Chairman of the
Moscow Region Government.
“My experience is that there is a lot of help which you can get. If we
can create one window for the investors, then this will help the investor
understand the climate, to get all the information, and decide fast,” Rajesh
Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Group.
Involving several regions in projects from the start
“We view the investment plans of 18 regions as a comprehensive proposal
to investors from the entire district. The investor has the option of
increasing returns on a project through leveraging the advantages offered by
each region. One place may have lower energy tariffs, while somewhere else may
have the requisite infrastructure already in place. <...> By involving
several regions from the start, we can significantly expand the range of
profitable business sectors,” Igor Shchegolev, Presidential Plenipotentiary
Envoy to the Central Federal District.
Comprehensive government support for investments
“When factories are constructed, we compensate part of the expenses
which have gone on putting utilities infrastructure in place. Once the factory
is commissioned, we refund up to 10% of the cost of the project,” Vadim
Khromov, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Region Government.
“Moscow Region has added an online calculator to the new investment
portal <...> to help ascertain the value of government support. The investor
specifies <...> a range of parameters for their project, and they are
immediately shown a package of government services they can take advantage of,”
Artur Niyazmetov, Deputy Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Central
Federal District.
For more information, visit the Roscongress
Foundation’s Information and Analytical System at roscongress.org/en.
18 January 2024
Bahrain Joins Framework Declaration on Conservation of Gyrfalcons
The Kingdom of Bahrain has become the seventh country to join the Declaration of Intent for the Conservation of the Gyrfalcon Population. The document was adopted by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the UAE as part the Falcon Day International Forum, which was first held in Vladivostok during the 8th Eastern Economic Forum. The event was managed by the Roscongress Foundation.
27 February 2024
Russia and Bahrain Look to Intensify Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation
Advisor to the Russian President Anton Kobyakov held a meeting in Moscow with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Russian Federation Ahmed Al-Saati, during which the two officials discussed a wide range of issues concerning economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries and reached a number of agreements.
05 March 2024
Mutual integration: Chinese entrepreneurs want to develop business in Russia
Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, and Zhou Liqun, Chairman of the Chinese Entrepreneurs Union in Russia, met in Moscow.
