Go to main page

The state is reducing the number of its services for which entrepreneurs should pay opening or doing their business. The list of these services has been approved by a resolution of the Russian government published by the Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper on Tuesday.

The list comprises a total of 19 paid services. Officials have no right to make businesses pay for something else. The list of state services enters into force from the date of publication of the resolution "On the list of paid services of organisations with the aim of provision of state services by federal executive power bodies." The ban for officials is introduced as of January 1, 2010.

"As compared with the existing regime the number of paid state services has decreased more than two times," director of the small and medium business development department of the RF Economic Development Ministry Andrei Sharov told the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily. "But the actual number of paid services may be reduced several times," he believes. Sharov explained that only the services that have the legal basis, that is, a government resolution or decision of a federal ministry, have remained on the list. At present, a part of such services is established by government resolution, some - by bylaws of ministries and state agencies and some by state institutions and their territorial branches.

Another important aspect is the size of pay for state services. "For example, the inspection of a bakery for fire safety costs businesspeople 600 thousand roubles, and the license for the opening of such business facility costs just 1,300 roubles," Sharov said. Such "price marks" will soon become things of the past. The RF Economic Development Ministry has is to approve the guidelines of the calculation of pay for services, and ministries - to approve the calculation methods within two months. At that, the price for a state service will not be able to exceed the economically justified costs linked with its provision. According to Sharov, only the necessary expenditures will make up the economically justified costs: for instance, costs linked with paper and office equipment work. Ministers will approve the "price marks" for each department.

Barring commercial structures from the provision of state services will help reduce prices for state services. The right to provide state services will be given only to federal executive power bodies, federal public institutions, federal state unitary enterprises.

Mediator firms that are often affiliated with public institutions will no longer be able to cash in on that. The Economic Development Ministry has no apprehension that state institutions will not cope with issuing certificates and may create queues. "The document has been coordinated with all departments," Sharov explained.

He also noted that "a number of state services are currently free," in particular, services related to conducting expert examinations and studies on the initiative of state controllers.

"The provision of services must not be business either for the state or state institutions," Sharov stressed.

Back to the news list