Rustam Minnikhanov on depriving industrial parks of support: ‘It's unfair. We’ll get our way’

“An entrepreneur should feel our shoulder”

“An entrepreneur should feel support from the authorities, from the state. After all, an entrepreneur is someone who takes risks. With his name, with his money. They take loans, and when they are told that tomorrow will be different, then it should not be so,” Rustam Minnikhanov said the day before, addressing the participants of the annual meeting of the republic's leadership with entrepreneurs.

This year, the traditional conversation between the authorities and business was held in Zelenodolsk again. A year ago, they gathered in the new Iskra-Volga technology park, and this time — at Vesna industrial park, which had just been launched, reviving the depressed area of Vasilyevo settlement.

However, private investors of Zelenodolsk District also created a reason to gather. First, Rustam Minnikhanov came to the ceremony of the beginning of the construction of Slavitsa Ice Cream Factory and the Production and Logistics Complex for Deep Processing of Poultry Meat. “Where the head is interested, new businesses and enterprises appear, and organizing sites for SMEs is a whole science,” Minnikhanov later noted, apparently referring to the entrepreneurial spirit of the head Mikhail Afanasyev. In general, the head of the republic was in a good mood and praised those whom he could have seriously scolded earlier. “They (entrepreneurs) should feel our shoulder, but they themselves can also suggest in which direction to go,” the governor of the republic added, pointing out that there are many defenders, but not enough assistants.

“Not all federal officials are bad”

This time, there were not so many federal guests. Among them were State Duma deputy Maxim Topilin, Vice President of the Russian Export Centre Alexander Molodtsov and deputy head of SME Corporation Directorate of Marketing and Information Support for SMEs Denis Solyannikov. Minnikhanov expressed gratitude for the work of the deputies, noting that “not all federal officials are bad.”

The head of the republic cited the final results of small and medium-sized businesses in 2024. The share of SMEs in the region's economy has grown to almost 25%, 182,000 small and medium-sized businesses operate in the republic, more than 640,000 jobs have been created, 392,000 self-employed people are registered. Businesses paid 233 billion rubles in taxes. “These are very serious figures, especially in such a difficult time, when the bank rate is high and issues related to sanctions are relevant,” Minnikhanov praised.

Welcome or entry is prohibited

The growth of SMEs was achieved through the development of industrial parks. Tatarstan, during the period of federal support programs, managed to build 100 industrial sites, into which almost 100 billion rubles were directed, Rustam Minnikhanov clarified. As is known, the source of construction was the program of the monotowns fund. Co-financing of expenses of the subjects of the Russian Federation for the construction of engineering infrastructure and the implementation of large-scale investment projects was carried out in the proportion of 5% to 95%. But after the program was compressed, the resources came under the control of VEB.RF, and since this year, not a single industrial park project from the Republic of Tatarstan has received approval.

In addition, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation has closed access to subsidies for regions with high budget security. Tatarstan fell into the fourth security group, so it can participate in competitions only for the purchase of equipment in newly created industrial parks. The limit is 50 million rubles.

“Will the programme to support the construction of industrial parks continue to be financed?” asked representative of Zvanka Industrial Park Lenar Gazizov. The industrial park in Pestretsy District is filled with 19 residents, the turnover is 2 billion rubles. The investor wants to expand the area by another 3 hectares, but does not have enough of its own funds for the engineering infrastructure. “We are receiving applications from new residents, we have decided to expand the area of the industrial park at the expense of adjacent areas. Due to the limited availability of our own funds, we need state support,” he explained.

“In principle, we will achieve our goal. This is unfair: we create jobs, but since we have high security, we cannot receive [subsidies],” Minnikhanov answered.

According to him, they will not cancel the work, since there is a republican programme in the amount of 500 million. Later, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Tatarstan Natalya Kondratova told Realnoe Vremya that six industrial parks passed the competitive selection this year, and Zvanka can apply for next year. According to her, subsidies will be received by those projects that have design and estimate documentation and contracts with potential tenants for 70% of the area. “We will not just build in the field,” she said.

When will the REC approve the opening of a branch in Tatarstan?

The head of the Association of Small and Medium Businesses Ilyas Nuriyev asked to extend the benefits for the simplified tax system for another two years — until 2027. The governor of the republic assured that the bill would be adopted at the next session. Then Nuriyev invited Minnikhanov to the opening of his medical centre in Samarkand. Director of Agro-Rost Ildar Salyakhov raised the issue of opening a regional office of the Russian Export Centre in Tatarstan. His company exports natural products to 15 countries, and its turnover has grown to 500 million rubles. Like any exporter, it most likely uses subsidies for transportation, but it has to be processed in Bashkiria. Why not create a branch of the REC in Tatarstan, he asked. An unexpected question, since back in February of this year, the leadership of the Ministry of Economy reported this as a done deal. It turned out that the top management of the REC did not make this decision.

“Our appeal has been reviewed, but the board of directors must go through it, where a decision will be made,” Midkhat Shagiakhmetov clarified. “This is not only possible, but also absolutely necessary,” supported Vice President of the REC Molodtsov. “Tatarstan is a large region, and it is very strange that there is no official representative in the republic. I think that in the near future, when the formal procedures are completed, it will be easier for the business community.”

And yet, the most pressing issue remains co-financing of industrial parks. Last year, businesses addressed this issue to VEB.RF, but they failed to turn the situation around. Thus, the Chelny industrial park Razvitie was denied almost a billion rubles for the construction of the third stage, but continues to build at the expense of the republic, the municipality and the residents' own funds, said manager Konstantin Puchkov.

At the end of the meeting, Rustam Minnikhanov accepted the proposal to hold meetings with businesses twice a year. “You need to know what you breathe,” he agreed.