Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs’ Rights Boris Titov presented annual report on entrepreneurs’ rights to Vladimir Putin, presidential web page reports.
Titov listed the findings of a survey among entrepreneurs carried out annually as part of the report on entrepreneurs’ rights. The survey showed that the share of respondents who noted improvements in terms of the protection of entrepreneurs increased compared to those who have expressed a negative view.
Yet he said, “There are still quite a few problems, primarily related to the criminal prosecution of business leaders. Unfortunately, statistics on this subject are not very good. So far, more than 80% do not believe business in Russia to be a safe occupation. Unfortunately, this indicator has been on the rise. We have conducted an opinion poll, asking business leaders what impact a criminal case initiation had on their business. As many as 54% said they went out of business as a result, while over 60–64% said prosecution even affected their health. It would certainly be better to have an option of applying other restrictive measures – not only to entrepreneurs, but to everyone.”
“The financial burden businesses face is growing. Here is what the overall sentiment is: most business leaders said they are facing a higher administrative burden, so instead of easing, it actually became even tougher,” Titov pointed out.