Yedinaya Rossia (United Russia) party suggests revisiting long-term economic planning, introducing tax remissions to high tech and innovative industries and more strict monitoring of state corporations’ spending.
Last Friday, a conference was held in United Russia’s Center for Social Conservative Politics. The event was dedicated to development of innovative economy and increasing Russia’s competitive status in the world. It was United Russia’s contribution to Dmitry Medvedev’s presidential campaign – the party is responsible for the candidates ideology. A total of five similar conferences are planned to take place in Moscow and other parts of Russia.
The gathering was first greeted by Boris Gryzlov, UR’s leader and State Duma speaker. He reminded participants of the recent past achievements: state budget assignations for science development have increased fivefold since 2000, and by 2010 Russia will spend about 400 bln rubles on scientific research (with 200 bln. more given by private corporations. According to Gryzlov, the state now is also trying to stimulate domestic demand on high tech products.
But UR chief also said there are serious problems, and one is that Russian business still invests very little in innovative industries, and businessmen are unwilling to fund scientific research, and the state alone will not solve the issue. Andrei Fursenko, Science and Education minister, agreed. The latter official believes private investment should be two times as much as investment from state budget. He also said the scientists also seem to have little interest in collaborating with business, as they don’t understand how their research can be practically used. Party members said both problems can be solved by financially stimulating business and the scientific community, i.e. 'abolishing brain tax’ – introducing tax emissions for investment in innovative industry. Gryzlov suggested fully liberating ship building industry from taxes, citing the positive example of South Korea.
Some participants complained that the economy of today’s Russia is ‘not innovation-oriented’. Fursenko added that Russia’s education system is 20 years outdated.
Conference participants brought forward more initiatives that they believed could push innovative economy forward. Duma official Andrei Kokoshin said Russia should restore the long-term economic planning of the Soviet era, and cited China, where everything is planned 25 or 50 years forward. “Our party and Duma fraction will create strategies for the future 10 or 15 years”, Kokoshin promised.
The issue of state corporations was also brought to attention. Gryzlov said their creation was Russia’s important achievement in terms of developing high tech potential.
At the same time, it was mentioned that spending of the state corporations should be better monitored. Vladimir Pligin, another Duma committee official, said lawyers should come up with a special monitoring scheme. Pligin believes heads of corporations could report their spending to the Duma. He also said a legal mechanism of state corporations’ collaboration with private business should be created.
Gryzlov suggested working on all the confrences’ initiatives in the parliament. He said that if they are all implemented, Russia would soon be among world’s top five economies.
Vera Kholmogorova
Photo: lizazhitskaya.com
http://eng.expert.ru
