RS RS poll RS’s poll – 60 % for privatisation

RS’s poll – 60 % for privatisation

March 2012

60 % of the people who participated in RS’s online poll said they would be interested in participating in a new stage of privatisation in Russia. It should be reminded here that in early August Russia’s First Deputy Minister Igor Shuvalov presented a report demonstrating that the Russian government was prepared to sell its stakes in Russia’s largest companies. This follow-up took place after President Dmitry Medvedev demanded at the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum in June 2011 that the Russian government revise their ‘overly modest’ privatisation plans. The new plans anticipate a revenue of up to RUB 6 trillion from the sale of the state assets (for details see RS for December 2011, page 6).

32 % of respondents said they were not interested in privatisation in Russia while another 8% are undecided.

Privatization in Russia. Are you ready to participate?

As was recently noted by the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the planned privatisation is structural rather than fiscal in nature. ‘We’re selling not just to bring in more money for the budget but primarily to increase competition in the economy and clear the way for private initiative. But naturally it would be silly to sell for cheap, ignoring the market value of the assets. No sane proprietor would do that,’ Mr Putin was quoted as saying.