Forum “SUPPORTS OF RUSSIA”: main things

On February 28, within the framework of the Council of Regions "SUPPORTS OF RUSSIA" and the Association "NP "OPORA" the Forum "SUPPORTS OF RUSSIA" was held, in which entrepreneurs, representatives of government authorities and business took part.

As part of the forum, strategic sessions were held, during which experts touched on two key topics for the SME sector: entrepreneurial education and improving tax legislation for business.

• Strategic session “Entrepreneurial Education”

Experts discussed the phenomenon of entrepreneurial education, the creation of a professional standard for entrepreneurs, and the role of mentoring in the learning process.

Alexander Kalinin, President of OPORA RUSSIA: “Education is inextricably linked with the problem of personnel shortage in the SME sector. Despite the fact that recently workers are more willing to choose small companies, priority sectors (such as industry) still “need hands on”, and entrepreneurship itself still needs professional standards. We live in a time when information becomes outdated, we need to adapt and adjust. We believe that small businesses need to learn on an ongoing basis - this is a matter of the fate of the business itself.".

In addition, OPORA RUSSIA has begun to create an entire mentoring institute, which should help provide young entrepreneurs with the necessary skills.

• Strategic session “Improving tax legislation in the field of entrepreneurship”

Discussion participants discussed the functioning of the tax system, the fiscal burden on enterprises and law enforcement practices.

Small businesses cover a wide range of areas, including priority ones, so more comfortable fiscal conditions have been created for small companies: insurance premiums have been reduced, and the institution of self-employment has been successfully introduced. Systemic measures to reduce the fiscal burden helped increase the collection of taxes and contributions. Returns from business are growing steadily: SMEs paid 6 trillion rubles in 2021, 7.5 trillion rubles in 2022, and 7.7 trillion rubles by November 2023.

In turn, representatives of SMEs ask that taxes be clear and transparent. Here experts drew attention to the experience of China, where zero VAT was introduced for a number of enterprises. In addition, it is necessary to provide methods of fiscal stimulation to avoid fragmentation of large and medium-sized businesses.