Competition is a driver of the national economic growth and innovation. Promoting competition in the Russian Federation is named a priority for all government authorities under Presidential Decree No. 618 ‘On Key Dimensions of the National Competition Policy’ dated 21 December 2017 (hereinafter the Decree).
The Decree introduces new goals and objectives, such as creating a favorable business environment across all industries and reducing anti-monopoly violations by federal and local authorities. Regional governments should increase the share of public tenders involving small- and medium-sized businesses and community-focused non-profit organizations.
Pursuant to the Decree, a national plan for competition development has been prepared in cooperation with relevant government authorities and the business community. As a result of joint efforts, the key targets set out in the plan for 2021–2025 include SME development, efficient and transparent management of federal and municipal assets, and digital transformation of anti-monopoly and tariff regulations. According to the plan, the competition promotion in 2021–2025 prioritizes agriculture, IT, power generation, solid waste management, natural resources, construction, transport, education, healthcare, financial markets, trade, and other areas.
To ensure a uniform approach to the promotion of competition in the Russian Federation, the federal government approved a new standard for competition promotion in Russian regions by Order No. 768-r of 17 April 2019. This initiative aims to improve the efficiency of regional measures for the promotion of competition. (Please note that the previous version of the standard approved by Order No. 1738-r of 5 September 2015 ceased to be in force).
Since developing a competitive environment involves both businesses and residents of the region, the most important and pressing issues will be discussed publicly.