The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposes to combine registers of Russian industrial and radio-electronic products

The Ministry of Industry and Trade intends to simplify the procedure for confirming the Russian origin of goods – for this, the department proposes to combine the registers of Russian industrial and radio-electronic products. Belonging to the register gives manufacturers access to government support, including government orders. However, the registers de facto contain the same information and thereby create confusion primarily for government customers themselves. Business associations support the initiative, reminding that the task of industry is production, and comfortable procedures can contribute to this.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade published on regulation.gov.ru a draft government resolution designed to optimize registers of Russian industrial products. We are talking about merging the registers of radio-electronic and Russian industrial products – the first is de facto subject to abolition. In total, in the Russian Federation, according to the authors of the project, there are 1.6–1.7 thousand organizations in the field of development and production of radio electronics. In the explanatory note to the project, the authors admit that now they have to maintain two registers simultaneously, containing essentially the same information.

The presence of two registers leads to difficulties for bidders on government orders – let us recall that preferences are provided for manufacturers of Russian products, while customers, in accordance with the law on the contract system (44-FZ), must verify the “Russian” origin of goods and check their availability in registers. The Ministry of Industry and Trade reports ongoing confusion among bidders regarding the implementation of such requirements. The agency “regularly processes about 150 requests monthly for clarification on the specifics of each register, issues of including the applicant in the registers and, directly, working with these registers.”

The business community supports proposals to merge registries. The head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sergei Katyrin, believes that the proposed amendments will have a positive effect on the manufacturing business. They emphasize that the changes will reduce unnecessary administrative procedures, eliminate duplication of information and unify the requirements for confirming domestic industrial products. “This will eliminate confusion for bidders when confirming the availability of products in the register,” he adds.

Opora Rossii believes that the unification of registers under draft government resolutions No. 719 and No. 878 is not so important for product manufacturers, since they quite clearly represent the set of requirements and the procedure for inclusion in the corresponding register. “For them, this is a proven algorithm. The merger of registers simplifies life for buyers under 44-FZ, who must establish the status of being in one of the registers for each product. The unified register allows us to do this easier and faster,” says Maxim Tretyakov, chairman of the industrial committee of Opora Rossii.

Member of the General Council of Business Russia, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Primekey Group of Companies Oleg Malakhov reminds that the main task of any manufacturer is to produce products. “The issues of selling quality goods should be as comfortable as possible. It is important that no additional inclusion of products in various registers is required. Conditional “registrations” and “quality confirmations” should be reduced to zero. Product quality must be determined by the relevant authorized bodies. And this should be a one-time procedure, without unnecessary paperwork. That is why any steps to simplify business participation in government procurement and corporate tenders can only be perceived in a positive way,” the expert states.

Diana Galieva