Investment potential of the Smolensk region will develop in compliance with the Standard

It was decided to set up in the Smolensk region the expert group on monitoring the introduction of the Standard of the activities of the executive power bodies on the provision of congenial investment climate in the region. On July, 30 Deputy Governor Igor Skobelev chaired the orientation meeting in the Smolensk Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

As the coordinators of the project - the representatives of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to promote new projects (Moscow) - explained at the meeting, the Standard includes the fifteen best investment practices used by the most economically successful regions. In 2012, it was introduced in 11 pilot regions of Russia. According to the decision of the State Council of the Russian Federation, in 2013 the Standard should be introduced in all the regions of the country.

The special feature of Standard is that the assessment of the its implementation is performed by the business community through the work of the expert groups formed solely by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to promote new projects from the local business community representatives. In the Smolensk region such expert group consists of 12 people.

At the meeting held on July, 30 the experts comprehensively discussed the draft of the "Road Map", exchanged ideas, and approved the schedule of their meetings. After the draft of the "Road Map" (the plan in which the activities, responsible people and deadlines for implementing the requirements of the Standard are indicated) approved by the expert group is officially passed, the project will be posted on the Investment portal of the Smolensk region.

The fifteen requirements of the Standard are divided into three groups. The first one is "Strategy of the Region" includes the approval of the Investment Strategy of the region by the supreme bodies of the regional government, the annual update of the plan on creating investment and infrastructure projects, as well as the Annual Message of the top official in the region "Investment Climate and Investment Policy of the subject of the Russian Federation." The two other groups - "Conditions for Doing Business" and "Guarantees to the Investors" - cover the requirements to have the legislation background for business and investment activities in the region, the necessary infrastructure (the Council on improvement of investment climate, a specialized organization to attract investments and investors, industrial and technology parks), and mechanisms to attract investments, including the availability in the subject of the Russian Federation of unified regulation on investment projects based on the "one window" principle.

Addressing the business community representatives, Vice Governor Igor Skobelev noted that if both the administration of the region and the business community join their efforts in implementing these requirements, it will improve the investment climate in our region. The implementation of the Standard in the Smolensk region has already begun. The administration of the region intends to carry out several activities from the "Road Map" together with a specialized organization which has experience in performing similar tasks in other Russian regions.