| The RSPP will cease to be a “trade union of oligarchs” In its current form, the bureau of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), which unites the entire elite of Russian big business, will last a little more than a month and a half. As Igor Yurgens, executive secretary of the RSPP, told reporters yesterday, at the congress scheduled for November 16, the bureau and board will be re-elected.
In the composition of the bureau, according to Mr. Yurgens, “there will be decent changes.” First of all, due to a change in the ratio of Muscovites and regionals in favor of the latter. In addition, Mr. Yurgens recalled, when in 2000 large businesses joined the quiet RSPP, the following agreement was reached. Nine people in the bureau are nominated by the “old” RSPP, nine are nominated by the “new” ones, and nine are elected through joint efforts. Subsequently, this design was heavily skewed towards representatives of large businesses. However, now everything will return to normal. In fact, the demise of the bureau in its current form came when the nickname “trade union of oligarchs” fell away from the RSPP. Moreover, this happened not at the insistent request of those who were so called, but because, in essence, they ceased to be oligarchs, that is, businessmen capable of influencing the authorities. And the RSPP shell is no longer needed.
Representatives of big business joined the ranks of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs after the president’s famous words about the “equidistance” between government and business in order to jointly lobby for their interests. However, this design has outlived its usefulness. Businesses are no longer able to demand anything from Vladimir Putin, and in order to approve all the presidential initiatives, it is not necessary to be a member of a business organization. So, unlike the time when influential entrepreneurs rushed to join the bureau, now only those who cannot “get out” and people truly close to the authorities will remain in it. A close study of the composition of the current bureau suggests that this list will include such entrepreneurs as Alexey Miller and Anatoly Chubais, Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg, Alexey Mordashov and Andrey Kostin, Vladimir Yevtushenkov and Vladimir Potanin...
However, it should be noted that there was also a large “natural decline” in the bureau’s composition. Kakha Bendukidze headed the Georgian Ministry of Economy (he was already replaced by David Yakobashvili). Nikolai Tonkov and Oleg Eremeev became deputies. Alexander Shokhin was elected head of the coordination council of three organizations - the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Business Russia and OPORA, which is why he also intends to leave the bureau of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. By the way, Mr. Yurgens said that the RSPP will be represented in this council by the organization’s president Arkady Volsky, the head of Interros Vladimir Potanin and the chairman of the board of directors of the Renova group of companies Viktor Vekselberg.
Also, according to Mr. Yurgens, the issue of the development of the North Caucasus was discussed at the meeting held yesterday by the RSPP Bureau. The Russian Caucasus requires economic growth of 6-7% per year, Mr. Yurgens explained, and business is ready to help with this. There are a number of large-scale projects in this territory, for example, the completion of the Zaramagskaya and Irganayskaya hydroelectric power stations, the transfer of the Tuapse-Adler railway and the development of ski resorts.
But, as Mr. Yurgens emphasized, “first order and understanding who is the boss, and then investments.” Businesses are ready to invest money in projects in the North Caucasus only under state guarantees. All over the world, Mr. Yurgens explained, a form such as public-private partnership has been adopted for the implementation of large infrastructure projects. Businessmen want to see something similar in the south of Russia. Vera SITNINA |
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