Who? Where? For what?

A curious event may happen today. The “informed source” told Interfax that President Vladimir Putin will meet with representatives of Russian business circles on November 1. According to the source, they will discuss “problems related to the fighting measures to combat inflation - entrepreneurs intend to propose their ways to solve the problem as opposed to the measures of customs and tariff regulation, with the help of which the government is trying to restrain prices.

In addition, representatives of business circles can raise the question of reducing the VAT rate and improving this tax administration. "

Well, what's the curious here? The meeting of the president with entrepreneurs on very relevant topics is more than appropriate on the threshold of the elections. Everything is so, but there is still something to be surprised. Firstly, "Business Russia" published her anti-inflationary proposals a week ago. They are just "counterweight" by the customs and tariff measures of the government. Delossi consider the priority state support for the internal agricultural producer. The difference is significant, especially if you take into account the time factor (and not take it into the calculation on the election eve of the election is simply ridiculous). So, state support in the form of, say, the expansion of subsidies can give an effect, but after a considerable time, and at first it would be more likely to disperse inflation than stop it.

Or the “informed source” gives out what is desired for the actual and there will be no meetings in the Kremlin at all. Or, as officials say, its format will be completely different

Secondly, if the “informed source” is related to “Business Russia” (which is very similar), then unclearness arises with the discussion of VAT. The fact is that the proposals of Delossov about the transition to the direct account of this tax are not found not only in the Ministry of Finance and the Presidential Administration, but also in the RSPP and in the Opor of Russia. In addition, according to the "newspaper", literally tomorrow, the President’s expert department promises to publish its calculations on the replacement of VAT sales tax (the head of the department Arkady Dvorkovich has been lobbying for more than one year). I have great doubts that in this situation the topic of VAT has matured to discuss the president.

What happens? Or the “informed source” gives out what is desired for the actual and there will be no meetings in the Kremlin at all. Or, as officials say, its format will be completely different.

It is clear that with one hundred percent confidence to talk about a meeting in the Kremlin only after its beginning. But, let's say the "source" is really "aware." There are some additional grounds to believe that the meeting (not necessarily today) will take place: if the “source” from “Business Russia”, then it is known about the close ties of this organization with Vladislav Surkov. As well as the fact that Surkov is a supporter of the closer cooperation of Business Russia with United Russia. This alliance may also enter the "support of Russia". With the RSPP is more difficult. The largest entrepreneurial association has relations with Kremlin officials, of course, no worse than his younger partners. But, as a member of the Bureau of the Board of the RSPP Igor Jurgens told me, some formalized union of United Russia with the organization of the largest private owners is unlikely to meet the plans of the Kremlin political technologists. So far, there are enough that many members of the RSPP, led by President Alexander Shokhin, joined the United Russia in personal quality.

10/31/2007 The material was published in the "newspaper" No. 205 dated 01.11.2007.