The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) was established in June 1990 as a non-political organization to protect the interests of industry at the time of fast and large-scale transformations in the state politics and economy. RSPP President is Alexander Nikolaevich Shokhin.
From the very first days of its life the RSPP priorities include: promotion of the business community interests in Russian and at the international level and consolidation of Russian industrialists and entrepreneurs` efforts for business environment development; enhancing the status of business in Russia and the world; maintaining the balance of interests of society, government and business.
RSPP represents the interests of all Russian businesses irrespective of size, sector or regional location of companies. The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs acts in two forms – as a non-governmental organization and all-Russian association of employers, the combination which allows advocate the interests of the RSPP members most effectively given different rights and capabilities of our organizations.
RSPP today brings together about 130 sectoral and regional associations of employers. Its members include such leading companies as: Russian Railways, TATNEFT, Severstal, RusHydro, EVRAZ, Norilsk Nickel Group, VTB Bank, Mechel, Ilim Group, Nizhnekamskneftekhim, NPO Saturn, SIBUR, RU-COM, Metalloinvest, Transmashholding, EUROCEMENT group, MegaFon, Aeroflot, FSUE Russian Post, Knauf Service, Alcoa Metallurg Rus, Lafarge Russia and many others.
The RSPP regional branches’ and employers associations’ goal is to create favorable conditions for business activities in the Russian Federation subjects. Their activities focus on the issues of regional social and economic development, fostering government and business engagement, tax policy, incentives for modernization and enterprises’ innovation, support and development of SMEs, pricing policy of natural monopolies and others. Coordinating councils of industrialists and entrepreneurs established in the federal districts play an important role in the process of consolidating the positions of the RSPP regional branches and associations of employers. Through a broad discussion process in regional and sectoral RSPP member organizations as well as at the federal level, each company has an opportunity to present its position on actual social and economic policy issues.
RSPP as an association of employers has the advantage of formalized mechanisms of cooperation with governmental authorities through Russian Trilateral Commission on the Regulation of Social and Labour Relations, regional and territorial trilateral commissions.
RSPP Committees and Commissions are considered by the governmental authorities as key platforms for debates on the most significant issues of economic and social development. A large number of platforms for discussion and decision-making guarantees full consideration of all RSPP member interests in elaborating RSPP positions and proposals. These platforms include: RSPP Convention, meetings of RSPP Board and Bureau of Board, Committees and Commissions, working and advisory bodies under the Russian President, Government and Federal authorities. Cooperation agreements are the foundation for engagement with governmental authorities. RSPP representatives` participation procedures in institutionalized working groups on specific bills elaboration are established. One of the most effective forms of government and business engagement is the Regulatory Impact Assessment procedure. Due to this formalized evaluation many acts “harmful” for business activities were stooped or largely improved.
Informal institutes of interaction, including meetings with country`s leadership, are not equally important. It`s not a way to “lobby” concrete interests but to promote business positions, outline risks and propose new opportunities for development. Informal institutes of interaction are particularly important when a decision should be made quickly but considering positions of all interested parties.
The demand for alternative disputes settlement bodies under the RSPP (arbitrage, joint commission on corporate ethics and joint mediation service) as well as RSPP`s registry is growing. For example, candidates to non-executive directors and professional trustees of the board of directors of stock companies, with federally owned stocks are elected from members of National registry of non-executive directors under the RSPP.
RSPP cooperates with trade unions. At the turn of 2013 A General Agreement between national associations of trade unions, national associations of employers, and the Government of the Russian Federation for 2014-2016 was signed.
Russian economy faces multiple pressures. Industry has not increased in practical terms, investment has decreased. Ruble exchange rate`s fluctuations make business nervous, even the ones winning on depreciation, because unpredictability is harmful for companies.
RSPP work with governmental authorities for favorable investment climate development is particularly important under the circumstances. This is one of the RSPP priorities at national and international levels. The administrative barriers are a major obstacle to increasing competiveness and investment attractiveness. Some barriers are phased out but other emerge. Business community`s request to limit unscheduled inspections was heard but a number of “waivers” of law started to grow. Regulatory Impact Assessment is largely useful, but this mechanism is not comprehensive. One of the RSPP key objectives for the long term is to improve the Concept of Inspection and Enforcement Activities Effectiveness prepared by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, and elaborate a roadmap of its implementation. RSPP will continue to work with the Government on Russian economy`s deoffshorization. We believe that the key to success is striking a balance between the state aspiration to bring business and taxes home and the need not to moderate both fiscal and administrative burden. RSPP regards as a priority promotion of stimulatory measures in drafting the bills on deoffshorization, enhancing Russian jurisdiction attractiveness increase and easing-off admin and tax burdens on bona fide business.
The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union came into force from January 1, 2015. RSPP works in close cooperation with the partners from Belarus and Kazakhstan in defining approaches to removing barriers to trade in goods and services.
RSPP is fully engaged in international activities. In 2013 RSPP coordinated the B20 process within the Russian presidency. The business recommendations to the G20 leaders were prepared. RSPP, prior to Russia`s accession to the OECD, obtained the BIAC Observer Organizations status which allows the Russian business community to collaborate successfully with their OECD partners. Starting from 2014, the International Council for Cooperation and Investment (ICCI) proceeded its activities after a short interruption. On April 7, 2014, September 16, 2014, December 11, 2015 the ICCI meetings were held which brought together the representatives of leading international companies and business associations working in Russia. RSPP also strongly develops various bilateral cooperation formats.