Orders are not discussed, but specified – Newspaper Kommersant No. 188 (7389) dated 10/11/2022

The government approved the first set of measures to address the general economic problems of business due to partial mobilization. The measures were formed following the meetings of First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov with business, finalized by departments and cover a range of issues from combining the status of an entrepreneur and a person liable for military service and granting delays for transferring cases to the new management of companies to easing the burden of obligations mobilized to the state, banks and contractors. Decisions should be ready within a week. In the business community, the measures are considered necessary, but not sufficient – for business, the answer to the question of reservations and deferrals for managers and key employees of enterprises, regardless of the industry, is fundamental, but there is no answer yet.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin approved on Monday a plan of priority measures for the stable operation of the economy after the start of partial mobilization. These measures were discussed at meetings of First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov with representatives of the business community – the departments worked out the possibility of their implementation last week (see “Kommersant” from 3, four and October 7th).

As part of the priority measures, the government has provided a number of incentives to help entrepreneurs in case of mobilization. We are talking about extending the deadlines for paying taxes, insurance premiums and other obligatory payments.

The deadline for submitting tax returns and other reports will also be extended. Businessmen will receive credit holidays – the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Russia and the SME Corporation will develop a federal law. They also promised the possibility of deferring the lease, and adjusting the conditions for grant support – extending the implementation of projects, reducing requirements for them and eliminating penalties.

Also, mobilized staff are encouraged to extend the validity of their permits without additional evaluation procedures. The issue of contractual obligations will also be resolved – in the event of a failure to meet the deadlines for the execution of state contracts, it is allowed to change their essential conditions without the risk of entering the register of unscrupulous suppliers and charging fines. The norm will affect all contracts that will be concluded before the end of 2023.

One of the key issues related to partial mobilization was the legislative ban on military personnel from doing business personally or through proxies.

The law is supposed to be amended – citizens called up for military service by mobilization will be able to remain business owners, the draft law should be developed by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defense before October 17, by the same date the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff will issue departmental acts and clarifications on a five-day delay for mobilized entrepreneurs to issue a power of attorney to a new leader and transfer of cases. As a Kommersant source close to the government explained, decisions on these measures should be ready by October 17.

According to Kommersant, work to support business will continue. Thus, last week the head of government instructed to create a headquarters for work with SMEs.

So far, the government’s message does not mention one of the measures most demanded by business – the release of additional business payments to support those mobilized from personal income tax and insurance premiums, as well as the transfer of social obligations to the state in the event of an enterprise closing due to mobilization. However, these measures may be included in subsequent aid packages.

Business associations note the importance of the initiatives included in the plan, but expect to continue. The most fundamental issue for business remains the issue of deferrals and reservations, regardless of the sectoral affiliation of the business – a letter to the government about this was sent by all four business associations and the SME Corporation. The topic is supervised by industrial vice-premier, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, and according to Kommersant’s interlocutors, so far the request remains unanswered. “Delays and quotas are the main issue. It is impossible to allow the shutdown of enterprises, the economy must work without interruption. And how to work if, for example, during the harvesting campaign, 80% of tractor drivers are mobilized at an agricultural producer, ”complains Alexander Kalinin, head of Opora Rossii.

Diana Galieva, Oleg Sapozhkov