The government conceived a “census” of industrial products

The White House intends to put in order the system for distributing benefits to manufacturers of industrial products – a bill on this has been submitted to the State Duma. Among other things, the document introduces digital product passports – this will allow you to identify similar products in catalogs, aggregate data about them and help customers find analogues to imports. The new mechanism will allow the state to identify the missing positions, as well as to determine the priorities of import substitution and support. Until now, the state’s attempts to “digitize” the industrial production market have complicated its scale and dynamism, however, this time the producers themselves are interested in getting into the new register.

The reorientation of state support towards accelerated import substitution and industrial development required streamlining the assistance system. The government submitted to the State Duma a package of amendments to the law on industrial policy, which should simplify the process of confirming the Russian origin of products and, accordingly, the access of its producers to state support measures. According to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, the bill will make it more convenient to confirm that products are manufactured in the Russian Federation.

The document defines Russian industrial products (manufactured on the territory of the Russian Federation, meets the criteria for confirmation of production in accordance with a government act and is included in the relevant register), its manufacturer. A digital passport of industrial products is also being introduced: product specifications, classification information, information about suppliers, manufacturers, import-substituting analogues, certificates of conformity, logistics characteristics and other important information. Unlike previous registry mechanisms, the passport is perceived as a dynamic tool for identifying goods, works and services of the same type. Now there is no such mechanism – there are only catalogs and reference books with different descriptions of the same type of products. Now if, when loading goods, works or services into the register, the system finds a generated passport, it notifies about it and does not create a duplicate.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade explains that the data of the digital passport will be open to users of public and private electronic trading platforms – this will increase the relevance of sales and increase their conversion. The passport will help you choose analogues to imports, show possible savings in purchases. The use of passports will allow the state to “create an array of data for analysis, identify missing positions, determine the priority order for import substitution, and effectively carry out the functions of state administration and control.” It is also proposed to introduce the labeling of Russian goods – a QR code will identify products and show a record about it in the state information system of industry.

Business Ombudsman Boris Titov recalls that the process of recognizing goods as Russian begins even before the QR code is assigned. “This is technical expertise that takes time and costs money. If the introduction of a digital passport for industrial products will bring manufacturers savings in this regard, great. But so far this issue has not been clarified, ”he points out. According to the head of the industrial committee of Opora Rossii, Maxim Tretyakov, the procedure for entering the register takes time, but those who wish can cope with the process. He believes that the amendments contribute to the introduction of a “total national regime” – the rejection of imported products for state orders in favor of domestic ones. Anna Nikitchenko, a member of the General Council of Delovaya Rossiya, believes that the mechanism can ensure transparency and eliminate corruption risks in the distribution of government orders among domestic producers.

It should be noted that attempts to “digitize” this market by the state are complicated by objective reasons (new players and products are constantly appearing on it) – this explains the delay in filling the catalog of goods, works and services for public procurement. However, manufacturers should be encouraged to enter the register by preferences in public procurement, as well as requirements for the presence of products in the register when receiving benefits.

Diana Galieva