Exporters got their

The best were awarded in Moscow

Yesterday in Moscow the annual awards ceremony for the winners of the “Best Exporter of the Year” competition took place. This competition is held as part of the state export support program. The award is awarded in four categories - the best exporter in the industry (in 15 industries), the best exporter to the CIS countries, the most dynamically developing exporter, and for assistance in promoting exports.

This is not the first time that many laureates have appeared on stage. For example, the Baltika brewing company, winner in the Food Industry category, or Nizhnekamskneftekhim OJSC, winner in the Organic Chemistry category.

The state is steadily increasing such areas as export support. According to State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development Andrei Sharonov, “there is now a very favorable economic situation in our country, which allows us to invest more money in supporting exports, in particular in the development of mechanical engineering.” For example, last year $215 million was spent from the federal budget on state guarantees. This year the amount has already increased to a billion. In 2005, 1 billion rubles were spent on subsidizing the interest rate on export loans, and this amount tripled. In addition, according to Mr. Sharonov, the government supports about twenty exhibitions of Russian goods taking place abroad.

However, the exporters themselves believe that the state could support them more actively. As Alexander Porshen, a representative of the Titan enterprise from Omsk, who won the category “most dynamically developing exporter,” said, “I would like to ask the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to pay more specific attention, then next year we will issue much more.” Other participants are happy with what they have. KamAZ representative Eduard Ratnitsky gave the received bouquet of flowers to Galina Balandina, head of the Department of State Regulation of Foreign Trade Activities of the Ministry of Economic Development. “This bouquet rightfully belongs to you, because it is thanks to your support that our exports are successfully developing,” he said.

Vnesheconombank provides support to the competition every year. Speaking at the award ceremony, Deputy Chairman of Vnesheconombank Sergei Lykov noted that VEB is actively working to attract foreign investment into the Russian economy. “We attract about one billion dollars into the industry every year,” he said. “VEB’s borrowing program is aimed at developing import-substituting industries in Russia and increasing the export potential of domestic enterprises focused on the production of highly processed products.” In addition, the bank is actively working to create infrastructure for promoting Russian goods and services to foreign markets. “Together with Roseximbank, we signed agreements on cooperation in the field of supporting joint export projects in third countries with leading insurance agencies and specialized institutions of the G8 countries, as well as the largest trading partners in Europe, Asia and Latin America,” recalled Mr. n Lykov.

Ivan GORDEEV