Russian government extends moratorium on small business inspections through 2023 – Mishustin

MOSCOW. Sept 9 (Interfax) – A Russian government decree extending the moratorium on scheduled inspections of small businesses through next year has been signed, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said during a cabinet meeting.

"The moratorium will save [small] business from unnecessary burden and a certain amount of stress, will allow companies not to be distracted by inspections and to recover faster," Mishustin said.

This measure has been in effect for several years, the prime minister said, and last year over 120,000 inspections were excluded from the annual plan as a result.

"The moratorium will now affect about 100,000 small businesses. Of course, a number of exceptions will be made to it. It [the moratorium] will not apply to inspections of those facilities that may pose a potential risk to human lives, those that are classified as extremely high and high risk, enterprises operating on the basis of licenses and those where nuclear power is used," the prime minister said.

The government is thus fulfilling the relevant order from Russian President Vladimir Putin given after he attended a meeting with United Russia representatives in late August. Earlier, Andrey Makarov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Budget and Taxes, had made such a proposal to Putin.

The previous day, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said that the ministry will undertake special oversight of the observance of the moratorium on inspection of small businesses in 2022.

"Businesses will be able to contact the ministry via social networks or by phone for help in case of abuses at the local level. We will promptly respond to appeals and work with the oversight authorities and the prosecutor’s office. Such a scheme of interaction with business has already been tried and tested last year," Reshetnikov said.

Only the most specific types of control will remain unaffected by the moratorium, including taxes and customs, as well as high-risk facilities, the ministry said.

The latter include production of hazardous substances, crowded facilities such as shopping centers, small pastry shops or bakeries – these will be inspected by oversight authorities, but only in accordance with plans which federal agencies coordinated with prosecutors in advance, the ministry said.

Planned inspections will bypass small restaurants, farms, enterprises for the production of building materials, manufacturers of innovative products, beauty salon, the Economic Development Ministry said.